A Sailor Moon Christmas
by SetsunaKou
Summary: Based on the SM Christmas CD, this our version of what the Sailor Stars movie would've been if one had been made! Serena is longing for Darien, but with the 3 Lights around, along with the Outer Scouts, adventure and fun is never far behind! COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Sailor Moon Sailor Stars**

**The Movie**

"  
**Merry Christmas!"**

Based on "Sailor Moon Christmas" Poem, Prologue, & Album.

(This story takes place in between Sailor Stars Episode #187 and #188)

**Prologue**

"_Dear Darien,_

_Hi there! How are you doing? Christmas Eve is coming up soon, so I'm having so much fun getting ready for it! Party and cakes and cookies…and Santa Claus…and **PRESENTS**! I'm so excited and happy!_

…_..Really…really I am, Muffin. There's such a pretty sunset now. I just had to write you about it. Stars will be coming out soon, and a blue moon too, everyone says. But I think the clouds are closing in around me. Sometimes I'm sure of it. Really, this year is so full of expectations of me…my varied, varied heart…"_

A golden head gazes out the window, towards the sunsetting evening sky. Her heart pounds in her ears at the silence surrounding her teenaged bedroom. The pen slips down to the desk, that this young girl sits writing at. She bites her lip as a tear or two rolls down onto the letter, that she was so painstakingly trying to sound lighthearted in.

_But I'm not happy, am I? Oh Darien I miss you so much! At times like this especially. At Christmas especially. Everyone should be together at Christmas. Everyone who loves each other should be----**WE** should be, Darien! We should be….._

Serena Hart hangs her head down for a moment, the pain of her beloved being so very far away was heartbreaking for this sixteen-year-old teenager. More than that, for this child of moonlight who has come to know her true and destined partner in life. For him to so heartlessly leave her, some would say, without neither letter nor phone call, nor communication of any sort, for months now, since he left for Harvard University in America. But Serena, desperately in love with this man, her sweet loving heart so perfect and pure, could never see it that way. She never believed her love to be cold and cruel. She never once thought that Darien was the one wrong to leave her---that he was never wrong. It was just that she herself wasn't strong enough. That she was wimpy and weak and----_Darien, I know you must be too busy with projects and work to write me, so I'll see if I can cheer you up from all that hard school work! _

Quickly wiping away a forbidden tear, Serena scoops up the fallen pen, and begins to scribble again in her scrawled handwriting. Only those who loved her could truly decipher it. Determinedly, she starts where she left off, crossing out the last few sad lines and writing again after the "…happy!"

"…_It's going to be so much fun! Mom said I could invite all the girls over for our Christmas party. Too bad though, Susan is taking little Tara to see her Dad in the recovery hospital he's in in Switzerland now. That's where he and Tara are from originally. Did you know that? I guess it's good though anyway that's she going to be with her daddy on Christmas, so----"_

Serena's yellow meatball head bobs up and down as she chews on the end of her pen, thinking what else to write.

"_---mmmh! And Alex and Michelle said they might come. But I don't know for sure. OH! I'm forgetting something! Alex is Amara! Since they've come back into our lives now, she's told all us girls that she wants to be called "Alex" not Amara. Michelle of course still calls her Amara, but if any of the rest of us do…watch out! I don't know why she doesn't want to be called "Amara", it's such a pretty name. Can you think why? Anyway, we do what she tells us and so she's "Alex" now to all of us! We're all pretty close now, but Ama----no, **Alex** and Michelle still have their "secrets" they keep from us. I wish we could break down their barrier even more. Alex sounded a bit…I don't know…like Alex on the phone. So I hope they do come. We'll set out two places for sure anyway. You should see the tree my dad's putting up! It's so beautiful and extra super big too! Me and Mom and Sammy too, but he's been SUCH a pain this year, I don't think Santa will bring him anything, have decorated the house and we'll going to do the tree tonight, with Rei, Lita, Mina, and Amy too. I'm going to have all my bestest friends around. And it's going to be so much fun tonight…I know! Just like last year. **I** still remember last Christmas how you and Rini---"_

And there the pen stops short again, lost in not so far off memories of a Christmas past. When Serena could clearly recall the joy of being about to be kissed under the mistletoe by a certain handsome young man with shining blue eyes, just for her. And then a pink jellybean, decked out with Christmas ribbons and finest velvet had ruined the tender scene (purposely, Serena was sure) by accidentally spilling her egg nog all over Serena's white fur trimmed party dress. (Her face and hair, too.)

At the time, Serena was furious at her wicked "Small Lady". Rini had not even feigned innocence at her "mistake", sticking her tongue out and laughing tauntingly as Serena had chased her round and round the Christmas tree. Everyone had dodged the pair as Darien tried to calm them down without much success. That evening had ended, after much ado, with Serena and Rini finally making up (after some of Mom's delicious Christmas pudding together, in which Serena got a little back, smashing with delight plum sauce all over Rini's smug round face). Rini had been angry at first, but one taste of the pudding was enough to soften her to want to reconcile for the presents and picture time. The two bickering meatball and cone-headed girls had forgotten all arguments of before, joining together with smiling faces in a portrait with beloved white "Tuxedo D  
arien", in which the three looked so much….a family….

"_Rini…oh, Darien! I miss you both so much!" _Serena's eyes fill with tears again…tears of pent up months of loneliness. Rini went off to the future first, and then Darien… _"Darien, I want to be with you now." _His name echoes throughout her soul. His scent, his touch, his protective arms, just having him near, that safe feeling he always gave to her. Serena could no longer take it, the tears on the verge of spilling out uncontrollably.

"Serena?" Rei's voice pierces the silence of Serena's bedroom from outside the door.

"Serena are you in there?" Amy's softer tones echo the question.

"Rei? Amy?" Serena's saddened mind tries to pull herself back from the flood about to break open as she turns around, and does not even hear them come in, so engrossed was she.

"Luna said you've been quiet all afternoon, Serena." Lita's firm hand was on her shoulder now.

"So we've come to cheer you up in the way only we can do, of course! Right, Artemis?" Mina's happy voice fills Serena's depressed ears.

"Guys?" Serena was still blinking back the tears, and the four girls filled with worry, exchange looks. They knew when their dearest friend was depressed…and they all knew exactly why.

"Is that a letter to Darien, Serena?" Lita asks gently, looking over her shoulder.

"Mmhmm." Serena nods at the unfinished letter on her desk absently.

"Did you tell him how much fun we're going to have tonight?" Mina interrupts with her brightest smile---and it was bright enough to light the entire world when she directed it to.

"Mmhmm." Serena tries to return the smile, finding it almost impossible to pull her emotional heart from it's doldrums. She wanted just to give up and…

"Serena?" Rei's voice filled with such worry, looks to her friend, right in the eye. Amy, Lita, Mina, Artemis and Luna, all too look at her with concern.

_They're all so worried about me, aren't they? NO! I won't give up. "I can't stand people who give up." Somebody just told me that and I'm gonna stick to it! You're right, Sayer, you're right. _Serena's mind smiles at yet another recollection, a recent one of a young man whom she had slowly accepted as a friend. One who had wormed his way into her heart, and had slowly become the strength and courage over these past few months Serena has needed, since her Darien had left. For Sayer was very, very special to her. Now, more and more…

"Hey! Everyone, I'm fine! Let's go on down and help Mom decorate the tree, okay? It'll be such fun! And I think she's got a new batch of sugar cookies going too! Oh boy! I'm hungry!" Serena had learned to smile through her pain, jumping up and grinning at her beloved friends, making them all smile big again.

"All right! That sounds good, Serena." Lita leads the way towards the door, glad Serena was ready to enjoy things with them today, despite the sadness her friend had deep down. For none of them were aware that Darien wasn't writing back all those endless stream of letters Serena had been scribbling on every day. But they did understand the sadness enough of not having him near, especially during this holiday time.

"Sure does! Race you guys down to the kitchen!" Combustible Mina explodes out the door, dragging an unbeknownst Amy out and down the stairs. Artemis and Luna chased the thundering, hungry girls down, warning them not to run and fall. (Which Mina nearly did anyway, if not for Lita's strong arm.)

"Serena?" Rei's voice was still there, still tender with concern. She was a girl with a deep soul, and knew what it was like to have affection for a certain man. And she understood Serena's much deeper bond with him must be in torment. As she turns, she sees Serena stop and hesitantly goes to her desk.

"I'll be all right, Rei. You go on. Just gotta wish Darien a 'Merry Christmas' and I'll be right down, okay?" Serena grabs her pen, determined to finish her letter off, in the brighter mood she was slowly growing into. She didn't want Darien either to sense the torture her heart was going through for him.

"Okay." Rei sees Serena needs a moment more alone, and goes out the door, leaving the room quiet and still again. (Except for the chattering and clattering going on downstairs in the kitchen.)  
_"This year's going to be just as fun too! I wish you were here, Darien. But I'm sure you're having a good time with all your new college friends and everybody. Have a Merry, Merry Christmas, Muffin. I hope this letter reaches you soon. I'll save my present for you till you get back. Can't wait for that time. I love you. Merry Christmas, Your Serena "_

Serena quickly scribbles, and puts down her pen, folding the letter to send off tomorrow. She nods in the determination someone else had instilled in her not to ever give up. Serena races out the door, to find Rei still there. Taking hers, arm in arm, they walk down the stairs. Rei, upon finding Serena's spirits lifted enough, scolds her about eating too many cookies and making a mess with the ribbons. And how little Ri Ri was a little "piggy" just like her in eating the doughnuts Lita had just made and----the eve before Christmas Eve was surely going to be a good one.

**Chapter 1**

"  
**A Christmas with the Stars"**

And that thought holds true for the rest of this evening. Serena attempts to lose herself in the joyous occasion her parents and the girls were making for her. They all seemed to feel her sadness, and treated her special, as to forget whatever sorrows her young heart may be filled with.

Rei, Amy, Mina and Lita exchange glances when Mrs. Hart shows off a sweater she had just finished as a present to send away for a "certain young man at college we're all very fond of here." (She was proud to show it, though pricked and bandaged fingered was she, to be able to have learned to knit well enough to produce only a semi-crooked sweater for Darien's Christmas gift.)

But Serena just smiles to her Mom, thanks her Dad for the beautiful tree and the special prizes of chocolates and candy canes for them all. Helping little RiRi "help" decorate the tree with popcorn strands (that mostly get eaten by the two before they were hung anyway). She does all this with a smile and a pretty laugh. Serena, keeping her spirits up, makes it all the way through the evening until the girls leave, agreeing to meet at the school auditorium in the morning for the Christmas play's final audition.

The household quiets down, as Serena tucks RiRi into bed, after brushing the candied popcorn from her fuschia little curls. And finally, as she lays down, silently, quietly, secret tears of loneliness whisper down her cheek to her pillow. Serena holds little tired out RiRi tight as she falls into a tormented sleep, just as she has done nearly every night since her Darien left.

Bright and early in the morning, Serena's ears wake up before her eyes, the radio she had turned on, the lite FM station, to soothe RiRi to sleep (the sprite was very keen on music for some reason it seemed), awakens her at this unusually early hour. For Serena anyway, on a day off from school. With the perfect harmonized strains of a certain rock idol group, whom she herself called friends, one especially.

"_To me you are always, the shine that I reach for."_

"_And your smiling face is just like a small star."_

"_I will always cherish you my love."_

Serena smiles at the trio of voices, and gets up as the sun kisses her cheek, to find RiRi in a snug little pile, fast asleep on her pillow.

"So cute." Serena whispers, covering the child back up as she skips from the bed softly, wanting to start this day out on the right foot….

"…_So now I can only endure by holding back"_

"_These regretful tears of my pain."_

"_Listen to me now Angel."_

_That's right Sayer, I'll hold them back. I won't cry today. _Serena's thoughts answer the song as if it's singer was speaking directly to her. She finds herself talking in her mind to him of late. Sayer had so suddenly become so much a part of her life. _Funny, isn't it? _Serena splashes water on her face, as she washes it, getting ready for the day ahead. _I couldn't stand you when we first met. I thought you were so arrogant and pushy! But now I'm glad we're friends. You are my friend, aren't you? _Serena dries her face, finding the sad look this morning lingered still from last night all but evaporating in the mirror before her, at the memories of the school Christmas play rehearsals, from yesterday afternoon. And the antics of that certain dark-haired boy, playing the center of attention he and his two fellow "idols" were, for the rest of the girls in the class. Sayer mostly did it to catch Serena's attention and put a smile on her gloomy face, but Serena didn't know that. She found herself falling into gloomy spells more and more frequently. But less and less they lasted, she having so many reasons to cheer up nowadays.

_Rrring rrrring_

The phone suddenly rings, and Serena rushes to it, so as not to wake RiRi so peacefully sleeping still.

"Hello?" Serena picks up the receiver.

"Serena? Is that **YOU** at this time of the morning? I'm shocked." Lita's voice says with both surprise and humor.

"Yes, it's me, Lita. I can get up early too you know!" Serena pouts with dignity at the swipe at her laziness. "Besides, Mom and Dad took Sammy to go see Grandma this morning to spend Christmas. We're going there too, later, but I'd miss the play this afternoon, so Mom said we could take the bus tonight afterwards and still make it in time for Grandma's Christmas Eve party. You guys are still coming right?" Serena asks, wanting her friends to be with her, especially this year.

"'Course." Lita smiles into her phone, not especially having anywhere to go herself. "But the rehearsals for this morning have been cancelled. The play's director just called around and told us to call everyone else that we're all prepared enough for tonight already without the rehearsal, everyone being busy with Christmas Eve and all to go to another rehearsal when we're all ready. So, I was just thinking I would go shopping and get some last minute stuff, then we can get together at your house. We can make the desserts for the tables at school I promised to fill tonight. Okay, Serena?" Lita tells, more than asks.

"Sounds good." Serena gives a thumbs up in the air at the thought of Lita's homemade cakes and cookies and crumpets scenting up her house.

"Okay, I'm going, before traffic gets even busier! I can't even walk to the market! Oh Serena, would you call up Amy and tell her the rehearsals are off? And Mina too. And tell Mina to bring that big cake I made for her to bring yesterday. (Lita just had to cook everyone else's contributions to the school play too). And Serena, don't forget to tell Rei not to show up to watch the rehearsals you asked to her see this morning. I've gotta book it if I'm going to get anything good off the store shelves! See you in a while!" Lita had this "take-charge" way about her that Serena found invigorating and also a little confusing, right at the moment as she hangs up the phone.

"Okay, call Amy for the cake. Call Mina at the school, call cookies….Ooooh, that's not right!" Serena busies herself, dialing Amy's number, knowing that Amy would figure it all out for her. Then she moves on to call Mina and just manages to tell her to bring the cake Lita was talking about and….

"RiRi!" RiRi awakens in an accident, and Serena rushes to her aid. And…the last call to a temple maiden was forgotten in all of the shuffle.

"_Running, running, running, running!"_

"_That darn Serena! Thirty minutes I've wasted of my precious time just waiting for everyone at the school to watch their stupid play rehearsals! And who's the only one there for me to watch rehearse? The janitor sweeping the floor!"_

"Stupid Serena! Told me to come at 10:30 sharp! She didn't even BOTHER to call me and tell me the rehearsals had been called off!"

"_She's probably still sleeping in her nice, warm bed! LAZY SLUG!"_

Rei Hino races through the crowded Christmas Eve's Eve streets from the 10Th Street High School auditorium, which was very empty, waiting for tonight's performance, towards Serena Hart's home. As mad as a hornet, and ready to give her forgetful friend the "what-for" she deserved, for sending a busy girl like herself on a wild goose chase on Christmas Eve's Eve. "Why didn't she call and tell me last night? She's had plenty of time?" Her angry thoughts occupying her, Rei nearly crashes into a poor old woman with a mountain of wrapped packages for little stockings, dodges a set of children talking to "Santa Claus" in a shop window, and skids on the icy, sidewalk right past a baby in a stroller, rattling his candy cane toy at her---and right on her red, mini-skirted behind on the cold pavement. "Ouch! That damn Serena! It's all her fault! Boy, is she gonna get it now!"

Rei turns as red as her outfit, more with anger and cold, than embarrassment, as everyone around her shrinks back, feeling pity for whomever would be soon at the receiving end of this fiery souled girl's anger.

_Ding Dong._

"Hey, hey, I'm coming! Hi Hi!" Serena happily sings out to the doorbell, her tummy full of Lita's yummy cookies, putting her in a sunshiny mood this fine morn. "Rei! Where've you been? You're late!" Serena chides her late friend, prompt Amy and then Lita, back from shopping had arrived earlier for their little impromptu morning get together.

"I'm late?" Rei Hino, red in face, nose, ears, with soggy mittened hands and even in unmentionable places, reddens even brighter. Having finally arriving at Serena's house and standing in the front doorway now, she was ready to blow. "**I'M LATE! STUPID SERENA!** I've been waiting at your stupid school for half an hour! And I ran the whole way here, just to hear you say 'You're late!'." Rei stands there, ready to explode, her hands on her hips.

"Oh, didn't I….call you? I must've forgotten when….." Serena's sifting thoughts just now remember that she might've just let Rei slip by, totally forgetting to call her up about the rehearsal cancellation this morning.

"**YOU FORGOT!"** Rei's infamous temper gets the better of her, and she grabs Serena with a stranglehold around her neck.

"Hey, you two! What are you fighting about out there? Stop it." Lita's hands rush in from her busy schedule in the kitchen.

"Lita, when you told me to call Rei this morning about the rehearsal I guess I forgot…" Serena admits sheepishly, hiding in the folds of her taller friend's apron.

"Ohh." Lita gives Rei a peacemaking smile. "Well, you know Serena, Rei. She's…." Lita tries to cover for her friend's ditziness.

"…stupid." Rei fills in the word, removing her soaked from the icy snow, mittens and plops them on Serena's head.

"Ewwwww, wet!" Serena goes shrieking away, slapping the wet mittens down (right on Luna's back). RiRi giggles at the angry face on the wet kitty. Lita sighs in relief as Rei's anger passes at the pitiable expression on Serena's now wet head, as she rubs it on Amy's apron front. Lita and Rei both chuckling at their meatball headed friend.

"Rei, I was starting to get worried about you. I'm glad you're here now." Amy Anderson was born sweet and had a way of making her friend's feel both welcomed and good inside.

"Thanks, Amy." Rei smiles at the blue haired girl, who was stirring a bowl of sweets in the doorway.

"Well…" Lita claps her floured hands together in a poof of flour. "Let's get those cookies baking! Got six more batches to do for the party tonight!" Feeling more at home in any kitchen than anywhere else in the world.

"It'll be seven you'll need, once Serena gets started." Rei sarcastically jabs in. Serena sticks her tongue out at her as they all congregate in the kitchen.

"I love this time of year, don't you? Everyone's so happy and friendly to each other." Amy says, her gaze travels out the kitchen window, to an older couple delivering Christmas packages to some neighbors outside, smiles on all the faces.

"Sure do, Amy! You said it! Cookies and cakes and singing and parties! And presents! Presents are the bestest part, don't you think?" Serena overzealously takes a mouthful of cookie dough, as Lita slaps her hand down at eating raw dough.

"Yes, presents and things are nice, but that's not what Christmas is all about Serena. It's about the day the Christ child came down from Heaven and was born into this world. That's the real meaning of Christmas." The usual know-it-all tone in Rei's voice is for once softened by this certain glint of something that she respected.

"Wow, Rei." Serena blinks, she in her childishness, often forgot what Christmas was about, shocked that a Shinto born girl whose own grandfather was the master of their own temple, would know and hold so dear this part of the Christmas season, she herself had too often skimmed over.

"That's right, Rei. My mom used to read me Christmas stories about Him. There wouldn't be a Christmas after all, if not for Him." Amy smiles at Rei, glad to see the Catholic Mission school Rei's absent non caring politician father had insisted she attend for political reasons, had a much more important effect on her Shinto friend than just politics.

"Mmmhmm." Lita smiles, she a devout Christian from her Irish heritage. Though her religious parents were now gone, Lita had never forgotten her faith, even attending Church services on a regular basis in their memory, her faith in God giving her the reason to go on when all seemed dark and lost in the wake of her parents' death, all those years ago.

"Well, I just hear things from the sisters at my school, Rei blushes for some reason, under their pleasantly surprised faces. She was a Shinto believer through and through, as her Mother and Grandfather before her, at her family temple always were. It's just sometimes Rei could see things another way from her family beliefs, sometimes she really thought she could….

"So," Lita sees Rei's embarrassment, deciding faith was best left unquestioned by others and left to your own soul, she decides to give Rei an extra prayer tonight, that she may break through the religious barrier and see her way to the light. "I wonder where Mina's gotten off to? She's supposed to bring the cake we've got to finish decorating and it's almost noon! Come on, Mina, we've got a deadline!" Lita yells at the front door, for her blonde ditz friend to hurry up.

As if on cue, in a certain frantic way that could be only one person. "Hi, Hi everybody! Sorry I'm late! Did I keep you all waiting?" Mina comes in, her mouth going a mile a minute. "Well, anyway, you won't **BELIEVE** what happened to me in the park on the way here! There I was, walking down the street minding my own business, mind you," Mina says in her excitable way. Artemis rolls his eyes at her feet as they trample into the kitchen.

"And I saw this commotion in the park. All screaming girls around some people and you won't guess who it was!" Mina enthuses all smiles, her eyes flashing.

"Wild guess, huh?" Rei smirks sarcastically, knowing full well the only people Mina was crazy over these days (her and 99 of the rest of the female population of Tokyo) was….

"The Three Lights!" Mina explodes, answering her own question.

"So what's the big deal with that? You see them everyday in school. Don't you, Mina?" Rei shrugs it off, a little jealous inside of being the only one in their group not attending 10Th Street High School where these three boys attended school as well. _Oh, especially that cute Robin Starr! Sigh…_

"Yeah, but this is different! They were on location shooting the last day of that TV show, "Boy Holmes Detective". There was a special signing event afterwards and look!" Mina proudly rips out a scrawled name on her brand new white purse. "I got Robin to sign!" She hugs the cherished memento dreamily.

"Wow! Robin's signature! That's super rare! He doesn't just sign for anyone!" Lita too, could easily be excited over the thought and fame of the handsome trio. _Especially Terry, he's a dream!_ She secretly wished she was with Mina and got her favorite idol's signature.

"**I KNOW**! I'm so lucky! It's only because he knew me, of course." Mina shows off with a brush of her hair back. "I got on stage and was introduced and everything!"

"You mean you introduced yourself after they'd gone, don't you, Mina?" Artemis says under his breath, spending his morning in the midst of a trample of screaming, rabid girls was NOT his idea of a good time.

"What was that Artemis!" Mina smiles that toothy, imaginary grin that meant certain death for one white kitty in a minute.

"Nothing, Mina!" Artemis smiles back, praying for the storm to pass.

"They're going to have a "Boy Holmes Detective" Movie out in March! Terry told me personally. I can't wait! We'll get front row premiere passes for sure, if I have anything to do with it! Let's see, December's almost over. January, February, then it will be March!" Mina counts on her fingers excitedly, doing nothing other than babble as everyone else hurriedly bakes the cookies for their deadline.

"Ooh, these cookies are so good! I can't wait till later to try that….Hey, Mina," Serena stops stuffing cookies in her mouth to look up at her friend, counting the months with starry eyes. "Mina?" Serena asks again, Mina not responding again so dazzled by a pair of minty green eyes in her mind. "Mina! Where's the cake?" Serena could just see the much talked of Lita's delicious cake slipping from her watering mouth.

"What? Oh. The cake…." Mina, coming back down from her fantasies of being Robin Starr's leading lady (_sigh_) bites her tongue with a pasty smile on her guilty lips up at Lita, who raises her spatula threateningly, her eyebrows now raised as well.

"The cake….I forgot to bring." Mina admits finally, to everyone's exasperated faces. That special cake Lita worked hours on yesterday, just for the school party was to be the centerpiece of their dessert table display. All Christmas decorated and colored, quadruple layered, it was breathtaking and delicious for sure…and now way across the other side of town where Mina lived.

"**Mina!"** Six voices sing out in frustrated unison at their forgetful companion.

"RiRi?" The fuschia little head cocks in merriment at all the noise.

With all hopes of the monumental Christmas cake she had hoped for to display on her dessert table dashed, Lita resigns herself to a smaller, quick short cake. She throws it all together in record time, it obvious from one look out the window at the hustle and bustle of Christmas Eve's eve shoppers, that they'd be lucky to get to the High School from where they were nearby at Serena's house in time, let alone trying to backtrack to Mina's first. Lita sighs with a smile at her laxness in counting on Mina, of all people to remember something, but she doesn't spoil a second of the day with a pout, in her genuine way.

The cookie cutouts were sprinkled and decorated to perfection, save for the ones RiRi had gotten into. The make up cake was finally done and everything was ready, so the girls prepared for their noon time appointment at the school. They bundle up well as they trek onto the icy sidewalks, dessert trays in hand.

"Now, RiRi you be very careful. Hold onto my hair, okay?" Serena instructs the little bundled up munchkin bouncing up and down in her new fuzzy coat, hat and boots.

"RiRi! RiRI!" She asserts her little self with a nod, grabbing a tug of Serena's endless spaghetti hair as her lifeline.

"Is everybody all right?" Lita asks, leading with her two trays of jelly rolls, praying both her cookies and the messengers carrying the trays would make it across the icy, busy path unbruised when several other strangers around them could be seen sliding and skidding in the shuffle.

"Okay here." Rei nods with the crumpets, not wanting a repeat of her embarrassing display before.

"I'm fine." Amy behind her, cookies in hand, had a natural footing on ice and snow, Luna on her shoulder.

"We're gonna make it, right Artemis?" Mina was more confident in word than in thought, she holds her breath with each step, somehow managing to be the one carrying the SECOND cake Lita just freshly made.

"Just watch where you're going, Mina." Artemis was all confidence in his transport.

"Serena?" Lita wonders at her friend's silence.

"Oh, don't worry about a thing, Lita. Me and RiRi are doing just---WOOAAAAHH"

Serena's bravado is cut short as she goes skidding with the gracelessness of a fallen ice princess. RiRi, as told, holding on tight, going with her in her falling wake.

"Gotcha, Meatball." A strong hand and over confident, oh-so-heroic voice stops Serena's descent, her spinning eyes catching a glimpse of Sayer's smile at her. His arms hold her (and the tray of Christmas jelly doughnuts) up, just a moment before her little tag-along slider RiRi's little fuschia body comes plummeting into them both, like an elastic snap. "**WHAAAAA**" Sayer's high-pitched voice squeaks out in unison with Serena and RiRi's cries, as the three of them go slipping forward in a pile, and smack straight into Mina.

"**AHHHHHHHHHHH**!" Mina's shriek adds to the cacophony, with Amy, Lita and Rei quickly dodging out of the way, as they all go skidding on the ice. Doughnuts, cakes, RiRis and all to the ground, just outside the schools brick gates.

"Are you guys okay?" Lita's first concern was for their health, but her face sinks when she sees her doughnuts spread out all over the scene.

"Yeah, I'm okay…uhh—Sayer **get your hand off me**!" Serena squeaks out, throwing Sayer's purely-by-accident misplaced hand from her upper torso.

"It really was an accident this time." His smile was crooked and all innocent.

Sayer had this uncanny knack for getting tangled up with certain blonde meatballs at the most inopportune times and places.

"Ri-Ri!" An unusually angered little cry comes from the puckered mouth of one sandwiched between Serena and Sayer RiRi. She gives Sayer quite a struggle as he tries to remove her from the tangled mess of arms and legs.

"Only you, Sayer." With a brotherly smile at his "sibling's" mishaps, Terry Starr's large hands take hold of tiny RiRi, lifting her away. She miraculously quiets her fit in his gentle arms. This sixteen year old boy standing 6 foot 2 inches tall and extremely mature for his young age, calms the baby's spirit somehow.

"Ah, what a mess." Robin Starr was just the opposite of his larger chestnut haired "brother", at most times, where Terry was often understanding and kind of Sayer's unenviable trouble with a gentle smile and helpful hand, Robin was cruel to him. He looked down on Sayer always and especially lately for always cavorting with this inferior race of people from this planet----and especially **that** one person.

"Robin! Terry!" From somewhere deep beneath the snowbank they had crashed into, Mina's excited voice still comes out as Lita and Rei put down their trays to dig her out.

"Robin! Here we are!" For some unknown reason, Mina often stuck to cute Robin (If she had her choice of the three, any of them would really "do" of course), the shortest member of the Three Lights (that goes for "short tempered" too). He was her favorite, though handsome Terry wasn't far behind. Sayer, though admittedly a pleasing mixture of both handsome and cute, had an outlandish and teasing attitude that didn't suit Mina's "high" standards and he'd have to fall in third place in her star-crossed eyes. Now that she's come to know them, Robin's perfect idol attitude was just what she was looking for, and Mina always got what she set out for.

"Robin!" Mina hops from her snowed in pile, nearly knocking Lita and Rei down in her enthusiasm. "We're here, offering the most delicious cookies and cakes, doughnuts and desserts, just for you boys!" Mina hams it up, batting her eyelids at the silver haired idol, as she smiles at him. She was inspired that he must be in love with her, since he signed her purse and no one elses anything.

"You mean all those ones all over the ground?" Robin diminishes Mina's excited glowing report with a sour look at the smashed and trampled doughnuts and cookies all over the muddy, icy sidewalk.

"Oh, no…Don't be silly! Ha ha ha," Mina gives one of her infamous petty giggles, lifting Lita's tray full of crumpets and cookies for them to see. "And just wait till you see our (don't you just love it when someone who had very little to do with the creation of, except for maybe some icing tasting and carrying of course, take credit in the "our") special…our special…." Mina, in her showing off, just then notices the cake she had been carefully holding in her hands, being still a little sorry she had forgotten Lita's first cake at home, was no longer there. "Oh no! Where's the----?" her frantic eyes scan the area praying for the cake to have somehow landed right side up, just merely fallen safely to the ground during their fall, and smiles, finding her prayer answered. She's just about to put the fallen cover back on top of the yet perfect cake…..

Just then, one forgotten cat, usually as white as snow, unburies himself, sticking his head out of the snow----and right through the center of the Christmas cake Mina was so relieved to have found untouched. It was now split into ruins all over Artemis' face.

"Artemis!" Mina falls to her knees, almost about to cry at the unfortunate turn of events. Poor Artemis was unable to say anything in the mixed company, other than a plaintive, disgruntled "meow."

"Oh well, I guess we weren't meant to have a cake. Cookies'll have to do." Lita sighs, quite used to Mina and Serena's mishaps always putting setbacks in her plans.

"I'm certain the rest of your desserts will be delicious enough to make up for the cake's loss." Terry had this "way" of making a young girl like Lita's heart throb.

"Really?" Lita sighs into Terry's violet eyes. _He's way hunkier than even my last boyfriend. _She sighs again as Terry (after handing RiRi to a nose-sticking-up-in-the-air-at-Sayer-still Serena with a smile, due to Sayer's pouty smile at her) takes her heaviest tray confidently with one hand.

"It's far too chilly out here for such lovely ladies. Please, allow me." A gentleman at 16, Terry Starr leads the way to the school auditorium, holding the door open for each of the girls with a handsome smile. They all look up at him adoringly.

"Ter's got a way with the girls, doesn't he, Rob?" Then, "Hey! Meatball! Wait up!" Sayer commented to his "brother" as he bounds through the doorway, chasing one miffed Meatball. Robin gives yet another sour expression at Terry and Sayer both. _Why flirt with them? They're only human----it's such a waste of time. We're only looking for our Princess. That's it. _ The thought passing through his one-track mind, Robin then shows that maybe there was something not so cold and whining about him, as he kneels down to where Luna was laughing (in cat sounds) at Artemis as Mina dutifully rubs the cake from his face with her scarf.

"Coming in, Luna?" Robin opens his hands to her, and Luna, being in a flirtatious mood, or a bit in love with the soulful green eyed rock star herself, leaves Artemis' side and hops straight into Robin's arms. He knew just how to hold a cat to make her purr, and carries his favorite kitty inside the school, as Artemis gives Robin dagger eyes in the back as they disappear.

"Oh, well that'll have to do for now, Artemis. I've got a play to star in with the 3 Lights!" Mina prided herself on being a "star" above all things, so she gave poor Artemis a lick and a promise of a cleaning job. The poor cat was still sticky, and his white fur matted.

"_This is going to be one of those days, isn't it?"_ Artemis sighs to the cloudy skies, as Mina too leaves him aside for the rock idol, racing inside of the auditorium entrance.

"_Angels we have heard on high"_

"_Sweetly singing o'er the plains"_

"_And the mountains in reply"_

"_Echoing back their joyous strains"_

The Christmas play was as none other, all who had attended the past 25 years of 10th Street High's Christmas events had to be in agreement, though there were, as there are in all stage productions, glitches. Serena as Mary holding the baby Jesus doll upside down throughout most of the play for one, Melvin tripping over his sheep AND as the shepherd in the field saying "Bark!" instead of "Hark!" in his nervousness for another. Then robed Amy and Lita as angels crashing into one another under the poor grip directions as they "flew" through the air on wires, and taking the cake on what should not have happened, but did and bringing the house down in laughter along with it. When Balthazar of the three wisemen, being very unwise and giving Mary a too familiar wink when she forgets her lines makes the shorter, silver haired wiseman poke the flirtatious robed and bearded (though on crooked) Balthazar. Which then causes the third taller and truly "wise" man sigh as he whispers, filling in everyone as to their lines since they had all forgotten them in the chaos. Somehow, the whole play turns into a Christmas comedy, a thoroughly enjoyable one at that, as the audience gives the cast a standing ovation, along with uproarious laughter. It was not quite the results the "star" narrator Mina had wanted, (her spotlight stolen at times) but it would have to do this year.

The musical section of the event goes a little smoother, the packed crowd (the Three Lights named big on the top billing sure helped, people standing outside for blocks just to maybe hear or catch a glimpse of the famed ones) getting just what they came for. The Three Lights delivering in both instrument and voice, the three young men managing to take a slightly less than talented group of schoolmates and turning them all into a musical troupe of perfect harmony. They all did such beautiful jobs on the joyous holiday songs, bringing to the auditorium true Christmas cheer in a style unique, as that of the Three Lights in lead of the chorus. In the final tune of the happy afternoon, the five girls sing in unison, their lovely voices melding together in beautiful strains.

_Silent Night_

_Holy Night_

_All is calm_

_All is bright_

Towards the end of the song, Serena struggles with the deep meaning and eloquence of the lyrics, making her own troubled heart tremble, as Sayer's strong, clear voice helps her, strengthening her as then the entire audience and cast sing the final verses together.

"That was fun!"

"Good job, everyone!"

"We were a hit!" All around, their voices sing out happily at the applause to both cast and the production's success. Chatter and compliments fly everywhere, but Serena seems lost as Mina, the "experienced stage pro" gives her a thumbs up and a congratulatory slap on the shoulder.

"Serena?" Mina questions the big smile at the play's success fading as she follows Serena's fixed gaze----to find Sayer's dark blue eyes gazing back, something intent in them. Lita and Amy exchange looks with Mina, as Robin and Terry do the same on the other side.

"That was great, Meatball." Sayer finally breaks the silent gaze with an embarrassed giggle as he pulls off his wiseman beard.

"Thanks." Serena smiles back into his eyes, laughing at him as he makes a face when the glued beard pinches his chin as he pulls it away.

"Don't laugh! That hurt!" Sayer whines in his boyish manner, rubbing his chin, but Serena keeps laughing anyway.

"Let's get changed quick and put out those desserts, gang! C'mon, Serena!" Lita gives her friend a tug into the girls' dressing room. Rei comes backstage and gives Sayer a pair of warning eyes, as she slams the door behind them. Sayer follows Terry and Robin into the boy's backstage room, ignoring Robin's suspicious eyes.

The dessert trays out in a hurry, congratulations of the great play coming their way yet, the Three Lights are soon swamped, it becoming a camera fest it seemed. The girls easily break away, ready and roaring to go to the promised Christmas Eve in the homey mountains of Serena's grandma---but not before some last minute Christmas shopping.

So surrounded were the three idols, that Serena and company don't get the chance to say "Merry Christmas!" and "Good bye" as they had wanted. Serena catches Sayer's eye as Rei rushes her out the door, with a farewell wave in his direction.

The stores were packed as the sun begins to lowers on this fine evening. Serena and the girls do some shopping, choosing gifts, secretly hiding them from one another. Lita picks up some nice fresh French bread and other delights for Serena's hospitable grandmother. They were all singing "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and walking together, enjoying this time. Luna and Artemis tagged along, but none of them noticed a set of three fashionably coated "stalkers" trailing them all the while from behind as they make their way to the bus station to catch the last bus of the evening to their rural destination: Grandma's M  
ountains.

But after spending a bit too much time shopping (5 girls let loose on Christmas sales! What'd you expect? ), and a busy, packed Shopping District full of other last minute shoppers, the girls, RiRi, Luna & Artemis, throw gracefulness and poise to the wind, racing to the bus station with abandon, praying for it not to have left without them.

"Running! Running! Serena, you've always got us running! Why'd you have to be so picky at the store and just decide on something!" Rei was the expert complainer, especially if chewing out Serena was called for. Serena's indecisiveness in gift buying, considering her nearly empty wallet, made shopping all the more time consuming.

"Yeah, Serena, you were in the boutique for almost an hour!" Mina adds to the list of complaints as she huffs along beside Rei, Amy and Lita, two blocks from the bus station.

"It's so hard choosing gifts!" Serena whines, holding new packages and RiRi to her as she races.

"Yeah, but Serena, still I think three hours shopping is a bit much." Lita, their suitcases, plus the bulk of the shopping spree puts in from behind.

"You know how Christmas shopping is, guys. The shops are so packed, you can't really blame Serena." Amy was always ready to pull her friend up when everyone else was down on her.

"Amy, you're my only friend!" Serena cries out as they finally speed around the block, into the bus station depot, ready to make their way quickly through the thick crowd all waiting for the final bus out as expected-----but they find the depot empty.

"Oh nooooo!" Serena whimpers out, sinking to her knees.

"RiRi?" RiRi's eyes were wide with the question, she having no idea what was going on.

"We missed it!" Mina states the obvious.

"RiRi?" Her little, frozen fingers long ago losing her mittens, pleaded to be warm again.

"We're too late." Lita sighs, setting down her bundles and bags disappointed.

"RiRi!" She demands to get out of the cold, giving Serena an angry little face.

"What're we gonna do now! That was the last bus Serena!" Rei puts her hands on her hips over her sniffling friend, dropping her suitcase to the ground with a thud.

"Yes, it was. The front office says there will be no more out to Nagano tonight. And not again until the morning after Christmas." Smart Amy had gone right to the booth and asked the hurriedly departing station workers if there would be another ride out---with negative results.

"WHAAAAAAAA! What am I gonna tell my mom? I wanna be with my folks on Christmas! WAAAAAAAAA!" Serena begins her infamous wail, tears flying from her eyes. RiRi copies her as well, bursting into tears, though she didn't know why.

"Well, how are we going to get there?" Mina asks, not able to bear Serena's yelling, as she looks to Rei, Lita and Amy. They all had the same look of consternation, as the group of them stand out in the quickly darkening cold. Snow had just begun to fall.

"Could we offer you a ride then, ladies?" A low, deep voice cuts through the cold air. The girls feel quite warmed by it.

"Terry!" Mina, Lita, Amy, and Rei cry out in joy at the timely arrival of their three famous schoolmates.

"Oh, Robin, really? Really? Are you going to drive us little old gals up to the mountains?" Mina attaches herself to Robin's light aqua trench-coated arm, her eyes aflutter.

"I guess….if we **have** to." Robin sighs bitterly, certain that "heroic" Terry would never abandon a group of whining damsels in distress. _Sigh. Just great. It's just what I wanted. Sigh. _Robin is dragged away by Mina.

"Ladies, may I?" Terry smiles in his gentlemanly way, and gives them those cool idol eyes as he lifts their suitcases and packages from Amy and Lita's blushing arms.

"Oh, but Terry, isn't it too much trouble for you all?" Amy asks, concerned.

"Not at all. It would be our pleasure to escort you." He answers, his voice deep and inviting. Lita and Amy exchange pleased smiles as they follow his lead out to the road.

"Our van's not too far from here. Just direct me where you're going and we'll be there in no time." Terry assures them of his excellent driving skills, even in ice and snow. (No one questioned his license at the tender age of 16. Boys had certain privileges more than girls and respect to go along with it too---especially a responsible and mature young man like Terry Starr.)

"Hey, Meatball! You can quit crying now." Sayer kneels down in his long red coat, to where Serena was splat on the concrete bawling still. "Ter's gotcha all covered! We'll drive you out to your Grandma's place. And spend Christmas together. What do you say about that?" Sayer says with loads of self confidence and an amorous wink in Serena's direction.

"Christmas together? Really? You're going to drive us?" Serena's tears miraculously fly away and a small, amazed smile replaces it.

"Sure!" Bold Sayer thinks nothing of inviting himself and his brothers to Serena's grandmother's. (As long as Terry was doing the driving, a feat he had not yet mastered.) As he offers Serena a helping hand to get up, he receives a bundle of RiRi instead, and she squirms inside the warmth of his big red coat. (She would cling to anything right now that was warm, her little nose so red with cold.)

"Hey! Hey! Little jellybean! Your hands are cold! Don't go in there! Oooh!" Sayer's high voice squeaks and tickled giggles could be heard echoing through the empty bus depot, as he and Serena, and a RiRi popsicle join the rest of the happy chatting group, as they all walk down the streets, glad to have a rescue transport to their destination. Not to mention a totally handsome and hunky group of the three of the most gorgeous guys in the whole universe as their tour guides!

This Christmas Eve's eve was truly looking up as they merrily sing along the snow, just beginning to fall on Tokyo's city streets.

"So what do you think?" a silky voice askes in the falling dusky darkness, not so far in the distance from the happy travellers, though surveying them with distrustful eyes.

"You know what I think." A low voice rumbles like thunder, responding in likewise concern, forged with more than a bit of threatening anger and something far more as an engine roars to life, quietly, unnoticeably following the group as they all gather into the Three Lights awaiting van, and drive off into the snowy twilight.

"Yes, Madame Galaxia? Did you call for me?" a soft-spoken voice breaks the eerie silence of the endlessly dark and spatial chamber the television studio elevator had opened up to.

For a moment, the silence persists, and Sailor Aluminum Siren magically exchanges her lavender business suit that she disguised herself with, running Galaxy Television, after one certain Producer Nezu's ever ringing off the hook phone was suddenly disconnected, with her soldier uniform. It was not exactly either very "soldier" or "uniform", the light sky blue strips of cloth melded scantily around her body in a flowing skirt resembling something perhaps a sea mermaid would wear, complete with seashell adornments and all—one final reminder of the forgotten planet she once heralded as her own.

"Madame Galaxia? Did you fall asleep? I'd understand if you did. The cold weather always makes me sleepy. I don't think I like ice and snow very much at----" In her ditzy way, Siren's mind often floated adrift of meaningless chatter and thoughtless wonders. She was totally and obliviously unaware that Madame Galaxia's evil wrath had no tolerance for her pleasant conversation.

"**SILENCE!" **Her voice was deep throated and bit colder than any chilling wind outdoors. Golden Queen Galaxia raises both angered hand and furious eye to this mindless henchman of hers. She gave this daughter of Siren more than enough time to prove herself worthy---more than than of the disappointing offering from the planet Chuu.

"Yes, Madame Galaxia! Certainly." Smiling sweetly in a singing kind of response, showing just how brainless she truly was, Aluminum Siren seems to have no idea that her ruler's limited patience was on the verge of expiring---and then so would she.

"Have you located a Star Seed for me as yet, Sailor Aluminum Siren?" Putting her anger aside for a moment, Galaxia's mere thought allows the golden veil surrounding her gleaming throne to part. She gets a good look at her latest seeker of true Star Seeds.

"Well…" Siren stands, cocking her ditzy long haired head as she raises an unsure finger to her lips.

"Yes?" Galaxia's patience wanes thin again as she considers simply destroying the trying creature on the spot. But Siren seems to dally in her words.

"I do have someone in mind…" Recalling the recent events of the past week or so, Aluminum Siren lets her eyes roll around her head, trying to think of some way to capture this particular target. Things had been so busy lately, difficult too, trying to track a person down. And right now, her stomach was hungry too, and Siren was unable to work well on an empty tummy.

"**SIREN!** You have exhausted my patience! Perhaps your successor will find the true Star Seeds I require." Evil anger leaves Galaxia no room for understanding in her ice cold heart, the golden queen raises one wrist towards an unsuspecting Siren, her emerald green jeweled bracelet glimmering it's ultimate threat.

"Yes, Madame Galaxia. We will for certain, without fail this time." Appearing from the shadows, she was nail bitingly watching her rival unknowingly anger Galaxia. But over time, stemming from somewhere in a past all but forgotten, this rivalry had turned into something far more. Sailor Lead Crow, feeling responsible for the ditzy blue hair Siren was. As far as she could remember, Crow knew Siren as a rival, and a formidable one at that. (When she got her head out of the underwater depths it often swam in) And after all, more than all that, though she would be hard pressed to even admit so, Siren was Crow's friend. And Sailor Lead Crow knew how to take care of a friend.

"Sailor Lead Crow. You know of Aluminum Siren's target?" Galaxia, her hand still raised, lifts an eyebrow, ever so slightly interested in what her dark-haired emissary had to say on this matter.

"Yes, Madame Galaxia." Lead Crow steals a glance backwards at the still eyes-rolling-around-in-her-head Siren. Though Crow herself truly had absolutely no idea what Siren's plans were about (she even doubted the sift headed rival knew either), Crow did know that after Siren's several foiled attempts to find Galaxia's sought-after Star Seeds, mostly at the hands of those blasted Sailor Soldiers and Sailor Moon, Madame Galaxia's patience was just about to give out. And though she herself would be Siren's replacement, Lead Crow did not enjoy the thought of losing her greatest rival. "We will return to you shortly. No doubt with a Star Seed for certain, your majesty." Laying it on thick, Lead Crow takes a quick bow. Her black feathered wings swayed as she hurriedly decides to evade Galaxia's certain wrath, and grabs Siren's arm, shoving both of them into their teleporting Old English telephone booth. Vanishing from the eerie room, leaving Galaxia seated on her golden throne, she finally lets her arm rest down, an evil smirk on her face.

"Very soon this planet will belong to me. Very soon the scattered remnants of the dead stars of this solar system will be in my grasp. And the final pieces of this galaxy and every other I have gathered already will fall into place. And I will control them all. I, the ultimate Sailor Soldier of the galaxy, will take my rightful place as ruler, as queen, as destroyer then reshaper of all the universe." Cackling, Galaxia and her chaotic evilness revels in the splendor of the most recently captured Star Seed---one particularly sparkling crystal stolen away from a soldier of courage, shining dazzling golden of this planet of life.

"_Dashing through the snow"_

"_In a one-horse open sleigh"_

"_Over fields we go"_

"_Laughing all the way"_

Down a snowy country road, a single black minivan resounds loud enough to shake the sleeping mountains it was passing through in the darkening night. The studious driver of the vehicle merely smiles at the unusual buoyancy in his car this holiday evening, as all of his passengers (minus one silver hair moping in the far corner where Mina had dragged him next to her as close as possible) ring in the season. Their joyous lungs at full volume. Little RiRi was laying comfortably asleep somehow through it all between Serena and Sayer in the middle bench seat.

"Hey, Rob! I don't hear you singing along. It's good voice practice and we all know you need that." Sayer teases his "brother" in the back seat behind him, his own long red coat now off and slung over Serena's shoulders.

Rei, seated next to Serena, had eyed the thoughtful gesture with trepidation. Brainless Sayer, as Rei had found out recently being so friendly with them, was being a little too concerned for Serena for Rei's taste. But what could she say?

"Be quiet, Sayer." Robin, feeling ever so tortured in the rear of the car, pelted by six loud and noisy voices screaming in his refined ears, makes a sour face at his annoying brother. He wished he could tell them all to just be quiet, but he grumbles instead, unheard under the cacophony, in his corner. His only refuge from the pandemonium was the soft, furry feel of stroking Luna on his lap.

"But, Robin, isn't it so much fun being together? We can't help but be excited, can we, Lita? Hey, Serena is your granny going to make rice pudding and fudge dipped cookies? I'm getting wigged!" Mina sings happily as Serena nods, her own tummy wanting at the thought of her grandmother's famous treats.

Mina beams as she giggles loudly in Robin's ear, girlishly in that way Robin found so petty in thousands of his other female fans, but for some reason, not so unbecoming in this blonde ditz next to him.

"Whatever." Robin murmurs under his breath (Mina, not noticing and already turning around for another round of "Jingle Bells" for the hundredth time.) Sayer's loudest most grating voice (Robin would never admit his "brother" had a gift) led the chorus of cackling girls in the car.

_We shouldn't be wasting our precious time doing these silly things instead of searching for her. Princess, where are you? _His silent thoughts turn serious and Robin stops stroking Luna's furry head. She glances up from her bliss at being petted in her handsome idol's arms, to note his sudden change of demeanor. Watching his intent gaze out the side window, at the oblivion of darkness on the white, untouched mountains all around them, seemed as if Robin's green eyes were searching for something, or someone in them.

_What are you thinking with such serious eyes? _Luna questions wordlessly, she didn't notice jealous Artemis on Mina's lap next to her wondering the same query of her. He was more than concerned of his own standing in this hard-won counterpart's heart, since this idol boy stole away her affections.

Glancing in his rear view mirror, Terry too notes Robin's gaze from the backseat. His concerns were always heightened for his two "siblings". _How unalike you are in so many ways---and yet, somehow the same. _Only a logical, thinking man like Terry Starr could see the same intensity in the connection of what both his opposite as night and day brothers were reaching for, though Robin continually sought out their absent Princess in solitude and moody soul searchings. Sayer lost his sadness in the laughter and companionship of the day. Terry could clearly see that both star crossed hearts were in desperate need of their Princess.

And so was he.

_Princess, will we ever find you? Sometimes it seems so hopeless. _Terry's own melancholy thoughts focus on the dark, endless road that seemed winding forever between them and their respected leader. His thoughts are pulled back to the reality of the here and now, in a certain flash of headlights that seemed to be trailing them. Though no one else would notice, the stealthy way it held back, as if any expert driver were at it's controls. But another expert driver, one who noticed everything, had learned to do so to keep himself and those he cherished alive in this uncertain universe. Seeing the faint glimmer of glowing headlights in the distance for the past several miles, Terry's sense of danger is awakened. He was always readied for any surprise attack, yet it never showed on his handsome features, as he calmly exchanges pleasantries of the weather and scenery with Amy beside him in the front passenger seat.

_I wonder who---_Terry's wonderings are cut short, once again, as before the minivan a uniformed woman officer waved them down with a flashlight and a roadblock in the highway path.

"What's going on, Terry?" Lita's worried voice comes to him from the back seat as she breaks through Mina's endless chatterings for a minute.

Robin, on the other side, looks up from his head buried in his hands, wishing he could be anywhere except next to two chattering girls at the moment.

"I'm not certain." Terry cocks his head as he carefully pulls beside the female officer. A mahogany haired women steps up to his driver's side car window, revealing she had a partner behind her, almost hiding with long sky blue hair, tied up under a police hat. She was a timid looking girl and had a very unofficial manner behind the officer flashing a badge of some sort at Terry.

"Is there a problem, officer?" Terry Starr had this mature confidence about him, that no one in the vehicle worried about his underage "foreign" license raising any problems with the authorities as he rolls down the driver's side window.

"Yes, sir. There is." The woman with her brown hair fingers her dark sunglasses as she takes a quick glance inside at the vehicle's occupants.

Serena shrinks, feeling the officer's gaze fall upon her intently as she shines her light at Serena directly, and exchanges a backwards glance at her blue haired, likewise sunglassed partner before returning to Terry's question.

"There's been an avalanche, just up the road. The highway's been blocked off. I'm afraid you'll have to turn off at this exit here and wait for the road to be cleared." The officer says in a matter-of-fact way.

"Oh dear!" Amy says in concern. "Has anyone been hurt?" She asks, her kind heart and medical hopefulness making her worry for her fellow human beings.

"We're not sure…yet. It was a serious accident. That's why no one's allowed past this point." She waves her head in a no-nonsense sort of way.

"I am sorry about your trip to your grandmother's, girls. Shall we head back to Tokyo and try again tomorrow? You'll still make it in time for Christmas morning." Terry turns around to face Serena and the girls, an apologetic smile on his face.

"Ohhhhhhhhh." A big whine of disappointment comes from every mouth. Sayer, too, you'd think it was his grandmother's house they were going to.

"May I suggest the Love Mountain Ski Lodge resort? It's just a mile back around the bend up the side road. Then you're certain to know exactly when the road will be open and get to your granny's so much faster then. Don't you think? It is so pretty up there." The blue haired officer behind the other proves she is a ditz indeed, smiling like a travel agent more than a cop who was attending a life threatening accident just up the road.

"**LOVE MOUNTAIN SKI LODGE!"** Four girlish voices longing for romance ring out. Amy quietly refrains from joining in.

"Oh, how romantic!" Mina bats her eyes at Robin, who sighs, seeing that his entire holiday would be no welcome occasion for him.

"Can we go Terry? Can we go? Then we can be at Grandma's tomorrow! There's still time." Serena jumps up from her seat, hanging on the back of Terry's seat plaintively. The thought of staying in a high-class resort with all her friends was just too fun to pass up.

"Well, I…" Terry chuckles at her liveliness, and she doesn't give him the chance to reply. He didn't know how it would look for the famed Three Lights to be taking a set of lovely ladies to a mountain resort though.

"Sayer, puh—leeease." Serena yanks the arm of the boy next to her. She knew herself and her friends were penniless for such a famous, ritzy resort—but not these new friends.

"Sure! Sounds like fune! Eh, Ter?" Sayer always spoke before he thought, making sure of every quick decision with his logical brother's approval.

"Yes, it does." Terry smiles back. Serena and Mina jump for joy. Rei, Lita and Amy, the more thoughtful three, exchange glances at the safety of letting Serena and Sayer together at a "Love Resort". But the prospect of being with the Three Lights took away any growing doubts for their young girlish hearts too.

"Thank you, Officers. We'll take your kind advice. Have a safe night." Terry nods at the two female officers, giving the women respect.

"Yes, have a safe night, ladies." The officer says in a sly way as the Three Lights minivan turns around and takes the turn to the resort a mile back down the road.

"Was she the one, Siren?" The human form of Sailor Lead Crow lets the bun out of her hair. "Siren?" Karasuma turns to find her friend standing there, her face as white-blue as her scattering hair.

"I can't think, Crow. I'm so cold. Can we go now? I think I'm hungry too. Is it time for supper yet?" Siren's human form shivers like a fish in ice water. Crow rolls her eyes at how she ever got in this situation with her brainless rival, who couldn't tell her why this girl with the meatball hair was today's target for a Star Seed.

"All right. Let's go." Crow sighs, feeling Siren's hugging ice fingers around her as they squish perfectly in their signature phone booth and disappear. Neither of them noticed the red tail lights that also seemed to have taken their advice, following the Three Lights van into the ski lodge turn on this cold, snowy night.

"Wake up, RiRi look at the pretty lights!"

"Oh! How beautiful it is here!"

"Man! Look at those lights!"

"I love the snow!"

"Isn't so romantic?"

_Sigh…._

The five teenaged girls sigh all at once as their ride pulls up to the scenic resort's front door. Terry personally escorts each lady from the vehicle after Sayer bounds out like a captured animal after the hour and a half ride, straight into the pristine snow. Robin sits back in the minivan with a sigh all his own, that maybe he'd finally be getting some peace outside the confines of the 9 x 6 minivan full of squealing girls.

"Sayer, the rest of the bags please." Terry's head motions to the van, his arms full of both the girls' suitcases and the girls as well, hanging all over the romantic enough member of the Three Lights to understand a young lady's revelry in hanging on a young handsome man's arm, into a romantic ski lodge.

"Sure!" Sayer calls back, ceasing his toyings in the snow like a five year old kid. He leans his head into the open car door, grabs his coat, which he just now remembers to put on in the minus freezing weather, along with a few bags and excess sweaters and scarves left on the floor. "Oh and don't let me forget this brand new, already platinum CD of the Three Lights' newest album….or this "X Men" comic book! Now, those guys know how to celebrate Christmas!" His arms were full, well, enough anyway he deemed, and he leans his head back in to where Robin was still fussing with bundling himself up to leave the warm car and go out into the biting cold.

"You get the rest of the bags, Rob." Sayer quickly orders, then rushes into the resort, not only to get away from the cold wind, but from another force of cold nature that was about to vent his fury at him.

"I am NOT! You can come back out here and get the rest yourself. I only carry my own. That's all." Robin goes into the trunk, takes his own suitcase and, as promised, no one else's, though his other hand was free. For Robin learned, long ago, that only trouble came if you didn't just take care of yourself, and no one else mattered. No one except her.

Seeing her idol in a bit of one of his often low mood swings, it was obvious from the frown on his cute face, Luna who was quietly waiting for Robin to escort her in is just about to jump with her bare paws into the icy, snow covered walkway and leave him alone as he seemed to want to be.

"Here, Luna. Don't get your pretty paws cold." And there in the cold night, Luna could see a warmth, she hops up on the offered shoulder with a grateful "meow."

"Don't worry, Luna. I've got you." His scratchy voice was soft and sweet, whispering into her furry ear. Luna wondered just how this special young man everyone believed to be as cold as ice, could be warm and devoted to her. She, one of the very few Robin ever revealed his true character to. And again, Luna wonders why he hid it from others.

_Just what is it in his past that keeps him so closed?_

"Look at the tree, RiRi! Look!" Serena carries her little charge to the monstrous Christmas tree the resort had set up in the front lobby.

"Whoooooooooooooo! RiRi!" Would the child ever find any other word in her baby talk language? Not likely, especially when she was excited. Her little blue eyes lit up as bright as the gleaming Christmas baubles and decorations aglow on the tree's boughs. Serena was revelling in it too, giggling contagiously.

"Admit it, Serena! You're enjoying this more than RiRi is!" Mina teases, the sparkle and shine of the resort's decorations catch her youthful attentions as well.

"Mi—Na! I'm **not** a little girl!" Serena, a **mature** 16-year-old girl now, was insulted to be called a drooling, cooing baby like RiRi. Serena was drooling and cooing in a much more **adult** manner now.

"Sometimes it's better to stay young and vibrant, my kitten." A low voice breaks into the girls' chattering conversation as they wait for Terry (man with lots of money) to pay for their rooms.

"Youth is a beautiful thing…at times." Another more teasing voice chuckles in agreement with that certain twinge of flirty French-ness.

"Alex!" The five girls turn from the dazzling Christmas tree to yet another welcomed sight. "Michelle!" On Alex's firm arm, Michelle giggles in her own far more than girlish way, at the surprise written on the girls' sweet faces.

"How coincidental meeting you up here! Just passing by? Or are you staying?" As innocent as a dove, Michelle's blue eyes sparkle the query to the group.

"Well, we're cramming up here until the road block up the ways on this main road is down. We were on our way to Serena's grandmother's and…." Lita starts to explain to her two older friends.

"You don't say?" Michelle lets her snooty side show, as she dismisses Lita and the others while watching her Alex's eyes beside her glow fiery, blazing hotter than the lodge's own fireplace. In that way, Michelle had never quite seen her beloved cousin's eyes flare before---before she encountered **HIM**.

"You again! What are you doing here?" Sayer, his cheeks red from just racing into the lobby from the outdoor cold, stops in midstride, the smile he was bringing into the room quickly evaporates into a hesitant frown as he and Alex exchange hard, questioning looks.

"I could ask you the same thing." With a nasty bite in her deep throated words, Alex Sokova's eyes could freeze anyone dead cold with her gaze. But Sayer was someone who could not be frightened away from a dare. The two of them just glare at one another, as an intense despise for each other fills the room.

"Ladies. Here are your passkeys. Your suites are all connected and…" Terry, about to hand out the girls' rooms keys, stops short upon seeing Sayer and that woman's furious stares at each other as he enters the room.

"Good evening, Miss Moreau….Miss Sokova." Terry for one, was quick to regain his manners, giving Michelle a gracious nod, and Alex a more cautious one.

"Mr. Starr." Michelle only politely nods back, almost seeming on the verge of a laugh at Alex's unmoving stare at that bothersome boy.

"Terry, the rest of the bags are still in the car—and I'm not going to lug any more--" just then the third boy (_admittally the best looking of the three, a certain cuteness about him—maybe it's the silver bangs in those green eyes? _Michelle notices silently to herself) comes into the tensed room with his usual complaining whine. He too pauses in mid-sentence, giving Alex and Michelle a testy look. Then a snooty smile passes over his face at the way that tall blonde from you-know-where was glaring at Sayer like he was the devil himself—something Robin wasn't always in contestment of.

"Should have figured we'd be having the pleasure of seeing you two here – together—in this **fine** resort." It wasn't just Robin's voice and that all-knowing look that made Michelle's skin crawl. She glances away from his insinuating look, taking a step back behind Alex, who stiffens in her stance but doesn't even afford the bothersome ill-tongued shrimp a glance, her gaze still fixed on the one who was the whole problem after all.

"The maybe the **three** of you had better go enjoy your holiday **somewhere else.** I'm sure famous **idols **like you have far more important things to do than waste your **valuable time** trifling with your yooung female fans," Alex's slitted green eyes flash in that fearsome way. A smirk appears on her face as her eyes rest on each of the three men with the underlying threat.

"No. Nothing more important. Just like **certain** people who got time on their hands to **bother** other people and can't **mind their own business.**"

Ouch. Bang. Bang. The five girls in question watch blinkingly as, back and forth, Sayer's biting words hit at Alex, her flaring eyes making it seem like the rest of her furious body was about to send him a flying punch in response.

"They definitely have a grudge against each other,don't they?" Mina asks in an awed whisper behind her hand.

"Um-hmm," the four other girls nod in agreement, they knowing what it meant for their Alex to be angry with someone, though none of the girls really understood the argument between the two.

"Grudge! Grudge!" RiRi had this penchant to repeat in her baby voice the funny words of grown-ups that caught her ear (and to a tiny child of 3, Mina Arnold could be considered an adult too).

"Well, anyway, we're all here now. Here are your keys, ladies. There seems to be a fine restaurant in this hotel. We'd be honored if we could treat you to dinner. Robin, Sayer, let's finish retrieving the things in the van." Terry, seeing the possibility of civil conversation impossible with this difficult creature of a woman. He eyes her and her "companion"- ahem- with hesitant eyes, still not wanting to believe what may seem obvious to strangers of the two of them as he hands out the room keys to the girls. Robin follows Terry out from the lounge no longer complaining of work nor cold (for in his eyes, anything was more welcome than being in the same room with that Sokova woman.) But Sayer lingers, not ready to stand down from any challenge she dished out.

"Listen. I'm making this **my** business---**Starr**. You **stay away** from her." Addressin the younger man with the last name only reserved usually between tough-guy man, Alex makes her intense point hit home, her low voice rumbling like thunder – a dangerous looming threat.

"Just don't get in **my **way **--- Sokova,"**his high-pitched voice somehow matched the fierceness in her low thunder with an intensity Alex rarely has seen in another being, both of these passionate fighters continuing their glare, neither one wanting to back down, their angry eyes locked in fierce competition.

"Sayer," Terry's calmly commanding voice almost orders Sayer to caome away, he , for one, not wanting his brother to have a scene with that woman to kick off their supposedly pleasant vacation off with a bad start.Most likely resulting, the way Sayer fought, in being kicked out of the high class resort, for Terry wasn't that certain that Sayer would have much difficulty in physically assalting a member of the female race

as Terry himself would ( no matter how deplorable a member she may be). With a final parting deadly glance back, Sayer follows his brother out, not feeling a bit of the biting cold at all despite the lack of coat of jacket because his insides were still so boiling from those few minutes he faced off with **her.**

"Amara?" Michelle's arms just now unfold from that tough guy pose she struck standing behind her cousin's fiercesome wrath towards those boys. She looks to her dearest's fixed gaze at the doorway that fiery young idol had just departed through.

"Michelle—can't I put my hands around his neck? Just once is all I'll need,"Alex could share with Michelle – and Michelle only—her innermost emotions. And for some reason this **person **known as Sayer Starr got her emotions riled so quickly inthatway Michelle never quite seen before.

"Now, Amara, dear," Michelle getting strange vibes of her own from those three, was weary of them as well, but she found Amara's fury at that silly boy almost… funny. And it also churned up some envious emotions of her own at all the attention her cousin was giving him.

"Remember—this is Christmas—so we can be charitable, eh?" Michelle's voice grows teasing as she drapes her arms around her strong cousin's tensed shoulders.

"We're her to watch—so let's watch--- and besides cous'" Michelle's pretty pink lips curl in the tease," Wouldn't you rather put your hands around me?" Michelle giggles as she watches Amara's hard stare soften a little in her direction, Michelle mastering long ago, as the two grew up together as children, the art of making her oft-troubled cousin smile. Into the elevator the pair goes, Alex stealing a final weary glance at the three men returning into the lobby with their luggage.

_All right, Michelle, I'll be charitable --- but I'm not going to make it easy for them_, Alex smirks in this silent thought as she let Michelle lead her away.

"She's here on purpose, you know that, don't' you?" Robin was ready to whine now more than ever as somehow Sayer had managed to load him down with those silly girl's suitcases (in which there was one slight mix-up, Serena being so very sure the reddish case was hers and not Sayer's. Hers was a fuschia pink shade lighter, but she was so sure she popped it open right then and there on her hotel bed ready to display her new Christmas frock --- only to find it a pair of Sayer's checkered boxer shorts in its stead. But the switch is soon sorted out, the boys now back in their joint room, changing for dinner.

"Who?" Sayer, his one-track mind presently on getting himself cleaned up and changed, digs under the bed for where a pair of errant socks rolled to.

"That Sokova woman, of course! She knew we were coming here." Robin wrinkles his nose at the brown turtleneck shirt Sayer had just struggled into. Robin ( a fashion conscious person) chose quite a different styled lavender frilled shirt, he sliding into its silkiness and then tying that sweet little ribbon tie around his thin neck. With an approving smile he nods at his heart-stopping idol good looks in the mirror reflection.

"Are you sure she's a woman? I could've sworn---" Sayer's muffled ranting on the subject of "that person" comes from under the bed.

"Yes, I believe it was her vehicle trailing ours. I did wonder who that was," Terry looks quite dapper in a handsome gray suit as he walks back into his own bedroom (Terry always dressed more conservatively than his two more flamboyant brothers, creating that adult atmosphere about him). He comments to Robin as he ties expertly his own standard men's tie (that's not a crack at Robin's less manly tie, really )

"Well- I don't care! This is our only time off in ages! I'm not gonna let **her** ruin it!" Sayer, after tug if war between red jacket and red suitcase (the suitcase one stitch away from winning) slides on the jacket and flings back his long black ponytail in defiance of Alex Sokova's wrath.

"You're right, Sayer. Let's just ignore her ---but we can still be civil, all right?" Terry was all for staying out of the woman's hair, but he did have to keep his younger brothers' oft-ill manners in check.

"You can be," Robin mumbles under his breath, he himself not holding any respect whatsoever for the golden dragon.

"Robin. Your attitude worries me. There could be a lot of trouble if you bother her. And Sayer, you do realize that it's because of your…interest….in Serena that---" Terry begins to play his big brother role for them both.

"I don't care!" Sayer repeats the sentiment again, this time adding to his intensity of emotions a pounding fist against the windowsill, gazing out at the increasing starfield as he cuts off Terry's sound advise with a passion in his voice that makes both Terry and Robin exchange a worried look.

"I don't care," Sayer whispers low to the stars, letting himself, as he often did in the nights, become absorbed in their glow. It was the Princess' glow that shined to him through the stars still, and also in the new found gleam of radiant light he had discovered on this earth --- Sayer now determined even more to not let anyone take **her** shine away too. Not now that he believed he had found something special….

The Love Mountain Hotel sets out a festive dinner for this night before Christmas Eve. Serena, RiRi, Mina, Rei, and Lita scarf down every delicacy in sight (Amy the only one holding back with some kind of embarrassed dignity.) The meal so scrumptious, Lita and Serena opt for seconds but RiRi has an accident with her dinner tray before their second helpings arrive, it getting somehow spilled on the woman at the next table over. Eager Sayer comes over to aid the apologetic girls, he volunteering to "help" rub the green beans and ham gravy from the miniskirt woman and he nearly getting decked by her muscle-bound fiancé as a result if not for Terry's innate apologies to the man on behalf of his clumsy brother. But otherwise the evening goes off without a hitch it seemed until the orchestra strikes up a more romantic tone than the happy Christmas tunes it was playing throughout the meal, "The Christmas Waltz" slowing the pace of the room for couples to dance to. After all, most occupants of the Love Mountain resort were indeed couples, making our girls feel the tiniest bit out of place, each one silently wishing she could cuddle up with the handsome idol of their choice. But none of them were bold enough to ask for a spin around the dance floor,(not even Mina, disenfranchised after her hints fall on Robin's deafly bored with it all ears as he contentedly pets lucky Luna on his lap). But gentlemanly Terry does take the time with each of the girls in a promised dance, his strong arms and perfect form giving them all dreams to hope for as the ballad begins.

_Chestnuts roasting on an open fire_

_Jack Frost nipping at your nose_

_Yuletide carols being sung by a choir_

_And folks dresses up like Eskimos_

_Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe_

_Will help to make the season bright_

_Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow_

_Will find it hard to sleep tonight_

_They know that Santa's on his way_

_He's loading lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh_

_And every mother's child is gonna spy_

_To see if reindeer really know how to fly_

_And so I'm offering this simple prayer_

_To kids from 1 to 92_

_Though it's been said many times many ways_

_Merry Christmas to you_

_r_

And though Terry does spend the tiniest bit more of time with Lita during the entire classically romantic "Christmas Song"(she so entranced in the melody her mind can't help but sing along as they dance), none of the four girls feel that Terry was especially interested in them. He was really just being the perfect gentleman, and not having any of them as his favorite in particular, treating them all the same. sigh 

Now Serena had quite a different problem.

"Hey, Meatball, whatd'ya say?" After watching his brother enchant both these and every other female in the hall (even some of those believed to be happily attached—ahem--), Sayer decides to do some "enchanting" of his own, going to where Serena was still busily feeding RiRi. Children took an inordinately long time to eat, and even longer in the cleaning up. Sayer offers a hand out to Serena just as RiRi finishes off her last donut, chocolate fingers waving in the air.

"What? Me….dance to this?" Serena looks incredulously at the sea of waltzing couples, Terry and Amy flying by her awed eyes. "Sayer, you know I can't dance very we—elll!"Serena lets out a yelp as Sayer grabs her wrist and leads her out to the dance floor.

"Never say 'I can't', remember?" Sayer's indomitable will was something Serena admired in him greatly, she learning recently that "can't" was an impossible word in Sayer's dictionary—and so was "no" it seemed, Serena never able to escape his forced on whims. But more and more she found herself enjoying their sparring times together, Sayer's attentions and zest for life giving her lonely soul a lifeline to grab onto in the dark days when Darien….

_It's not Darien's scent. It's not his touch. And yet…_Serena's eyes glaze over at the memories vivid of being held like this in her adored Darien's arms, of waltzing with him, of letting him lead her wherever he would as another man's arms hold her in much the same way, letting her feel beautiful, admired, so warm, and most of all…. Special…Serena's lost thoughts suddenly stop short as Sayer's waltzing (okay, it was a little too spirited to ever be called waltzing, more like a slow dance) ceases when a hard tap comes to his shoulder.

"When a man gets tapped on the shoulder, it means he's supposed to let the next man take over the dance," a low voice says threateningly after Sayer seems unwilling to give up his grip around Serena.

"You said the next **man**," Sayer smirks the swipe right in Alex's face (he still a tiny bit uncertain of the trying question as to this person's sex, "she" fully decked out right now in a men's black tuxedo, not looking all that feminine at all. But as Sayer knew quite intimately, appearances can be deceiving.)

"Just get out of my way, Starr," the same anger flashes in her eyes (_her, there I'm getting used to it_) Sayer smirks as Alex shoves him out of the way, taking Serena's confused form into the safety of her arms and back around onto the dance floor.

"See ya 'round, Meatball. I think we'll call it a night since you've now got othe **company,"** the nasty way Sayer and Alex exchange looks as he simply leaves with Terry and Robin close behind makes Serena feel a certain sadness inside, the Christmas cheer she was feeling earlier ebbing away.

"Alex, why can't we all be friends? They're really very nice boys! Really," Serena asks with a hopeful face as the taller woman spins her around the dance floor. Serena feels once again the strength of a man holding her – but there was a difference, she could feel it. Alex wanted to protect her, to set her right , to keep her safe, and Sayer… What did Sayer want?

"Didn't I tell you to beware of wolves, kitten? And make no mistake, little princess, this one is a wolf. I just can't stand by and watch your beautiful innocence being stolen awa---"Alex tries to explain her position, looking directly into her princess' gorgeous crystal eyes, seeing angry tears spring suddenly from behind them at her hard words.

"Stop! Stop it! Sayer's not like that! He's not! He's my very special friend! Please be nicer to him, Alex! I want us all to be friends!" And with that outburst, Serena squirms from Alex's surprised grip, hurrying to the elevator, and then to her room, bursting into tears before she even gets there.

_Really! Why can't we all get along? I can't stand all this fighting! Oh Darien! You would know what to do. You would know what to say to make everything better. Oh Darien, I miss you so much! I want to be with you right now!_ Serena's tears flow bitterly as she lies crumpled on her bed in her new orange sweater, wishing for everything to be as it was, for Darien to be able to come and hold her in his arms and—

"Serena? Open up!"

"Serena? You in there?"

"Hey girlfriend, let us in."

" Oh Serena, don't cry." Four dear voices come to her side door, Serena opening the adjoining door to find Lita, Mina, Amy, and Rei all standing there, concern on their gently smiling faces.

"Hey, Serena, you made Alex feel really bad down there," Lita says tenderly, all four of them seeing the hurt and worry evident on their tough golden friend's face.

" I'm sure she didn't mean to be so mean about Sayer," Mina smiles the lie, she herself believing that Alex did intend to be, she and Sayer seeming to have some quarrel between them.

"Yeah, you know how Alex can get about men", _not that I can blame her, _Rei herself was having doubts about Serena's growing relationship with that wild boy, but she wouldn't be as bold as Alex to come right out and say it so profoundly.

"So you guys think it'll be all right? I like for everybody to get along," Serena's teary face looks up to her cherished ones with hope.

Of course it will be Serena! Christmas Eve Eve is no time for crying!"Amy smiles in

her own "never give up" way, making a small smile come over Serena with the four girl's confidence.

"Yeah! And to cheer you up we decided to bring you some early presents! Aren't you lucky!" Mina pops open the bag she was carrying, handing out to each girl their gift-wrapped package. " I made them all myse--- oh, hee, hee " Mina is about to take full credit for the darling little plushie doll ornaments modeled SD of each of the girls in Christmas garb.

"Oh! So cute!" Serena grabs the one of her when she spots a little plush of Darien peeking out from underneath._ Oh Lita, you didn't forget him! Thank you!_

"Lita helped of course. Aren't they too darling!" Mina bubbles as Lita sighs with a smile (she doing nearly everything in the construction of these cuties but if Mina wanted to tag along….)

"Here!" Mina goes dashing in between rooms in the wink of an eye, returning with a tiny little fir tree in a pot.

"The cute clerk down at the check-in desk let me borrow this. It's a crime to be this beautiful, isn't it, girls? Men do whatever you say," Mina sighs in awe of her own infamous beauty.

"Right, Mina." Rei rolls her eyes at the ditz blonde,

"I'll bet you and RiRi will love decorating this tree together with these dollies,.When she wakes up in the morning, that is," Amy smiles over the child in her arms.

"Dollies! Dollies!" RiRi awakens at the mere word, crying out in glee as Amy hands RiRi her own plush RIRI (whom is promptly smudged with chocolate dessert still on the baby's hands, oh well).

"You guys are the best! This'll be so much fun!" Giggling just like RiRi, Serena forgets all her troubles again for the moment, playing dollies with RiRi and gossiping with the girls as they all snack on some cookies Lita fortuitively swiped from the party downstairs. Amy brushes out her long hair as Serena deflects Rei's verbal attacks with a feisty smile. The five girls laughing the evening away long after RiRi had fallen asleep atop of a fuzzy Luna pillow. Luna sighs wondering how she always got slept upon (it now miffed Artemis' turn to laugh at her misfortune).

The hour growing late, a hug from each of her friends making her feel warm and happy inside her uncertain soul again, Serena prepares for bed (that meant having the joy of dressing a tired out RiRi in her frilly sky blue pajamas, sigh)

That job finally done, Serena goes to her window, a gleaming shooting star seeming to call to her as it steals across the night sky.

"Look, RiRi! A shooting star!" Serena excited at the romantic sight, thrusts open the big window, ignoring the bitter cold like a tiny schoolgirl again. Kneeling, Serena folds her hands together in a prayer as the cool wind kisses her tender cheek.

"I'll make a wish upon this shooting star. Tonight I wish…Tonight… I wish…" her happy chattering grows sad for what this child of the moon truly wished for was so very far, a continent or two in the way…

"Darien…" she whispers to the shooting star as it makes its way across the sky, she wishing she could climb aboard it, next stop America.

Suddenly Serena glances up from the tears also threatening to fall, just now noticing the silent figure of little RiRi gazing up at her in awe, her big blue eyes wide with ….something…. something like understanding.

"RiRi! Why aren't you sleeping like a good little girl?" Taking a deep breath Serena smiles away her tears for the child's sake, not wanting to cry in front of her.

"RiRi?" the munchkin blinks up at her, sweetly hopeful.

"All right then," Serena couldn't help but like something about this small girl, falling under the spell of her blue eyes. She scoots up a little footstool and lifts RiRi up on top of it. Copycat RiRi bounces into a kneel, following Serena's movements and clasping her tiny hands under her chin, mimicking Serena in prayer.

"Make a wish on the shooting star, RiRi. See it up there? See it?" Serena points to the star shooting across the sky, its brightness flowing over the earth, only likened to her own glimmer.

And someone else whose eyes were always to the stars, too notices both the one making its way across the sky and the glimmering of the one shining in the windowsill he just happened to be next to.

"What are you looking at, Sayer?" Robin asks, continually questioning his brother's motives. Sayer quickly fixes his gaze back to the star in the sky (and purposely away from the next window, he already getting enough adjeta tonight over this from all sides, especially that golden-haired blank-blank-blank).

"Shooting star," Sayer says in that spacey way as he opens the window wider to breathe in the fresh cold air he so much longed he could be part of again in this moment – and shoot across the sky with that star again.

"Oh," in a small voice Robin too is caught up in the moonlight, going to his knees at the windowsill, a devout look of peace washing over his usually angry features as he puts his hands together, praying for the Princess to return to them soon.

Smiling at how his two unalike brothers could both be so affected by the starlight, Terry finishes setting out Sayer's nightclothes. Going to the window, he, too is able to be absorbed in the star's radiance.

But going to the window, Terry, unlike totally devoted Robin, could see what was going on. He, being a man now too was able to pick up Sayer's wandering eyes from the stars as Sayer's intent gaze peeks over to where a certain blonde meatball head was busily making wishes upon the same star. Her eyes were closed with that dreamy expression on her face, and her little fuschia companion was mimicking her(one eye peeking open to see Serena's giddy chattering to the wishing star). The indigo cat was the only one seeming to notice Sayer's peeping tom gaze, the feline looking quite flustered about it, worry written on her kitty features.

_Oh Sayer, what will it take to make you learn?_ Terry shakes his head at his flighty sibling, unable to suppress a knowing smirk in Sayer's direction. Terry's gaze then travels between his two disparate brothers, one longing for the past of the world they once knew, the other ready to jump feet first into the present of this one.

_Princess, where are you? In such a situation you would know what to tell them. You would know what to do. _Terry makes his own wish upon the descending star, and prays that the miracle they've been desperately yearning for, will soon come to pass.

But the star this night was not a normal "wishing star". This piece of light from the far reaches of a galaxy foreign has traveled to this one. It too was in search of something…. Or someone in particular with a far less than hopeful purpose within its deranged mind.

_Galaxia…I won't allow you to live. Even if it takes the rest of me you've already stripped away—I will destroy every piece of you_. Falling to the snowy countryside, breaking the pristine beauty, a lone star sinks deep into the ground on this still night, biding its time and limited energy until the force that had drawn it to this distant rural star would come within its grasp.

_It's been over a thousand years --- but I have finally found you. You cannot hide from me. You can never escape…I will have my revenge for all that you've stolen away from me…_

……_Sister……_

A golden luster glints its blackness in the soft white snow.

Black gold.


	2. Chapter 2

**Merry Christmas!**

**Chapter 2**

**Shadows in the Snow**

"C'mon RiRi! Be a good little girl!" Serena finds herself pleading to the small fuschia creature less than 2 feet high, RiRi always giving quite a struggle when it came to getting dressed.

"RiRi!" she sings without a care in the world it seemed as she whacks Serena in the face with the Santa Claus shaped lollipop she was sucking on (okay, candy at 8AM was not a good idea for little toddlers, but what does Serena know of such things?).

"Oh, RiRi!" Serena frustratingly sighs, finally pulling on the cute tiny ballet slippers Mom had gotten for "her youngest child" to wear.

_Now onto the rest of you, squirmy bean! _Serena is just about to delve into the really hard part of dressing a bouncing pink ball of energy. "Now this goes over your head, RiRi, I know you don't like that." Serena prepares the little red velvet dress to yank over RiRi's head when a knock comes to the hotel room door. In a flash, Serena's tiny subject squiggles away from her fate, RiRi's poorly aligned undies sliding down as she hops up twice to turn the doorknob (RiRi having no fear of strangers it seemed).

"Good morn—huh?" independent Alex Sokova was not much on children, the sight of a half-dressed, googol-eyed babe at her feet not the most pleasant sight in the morning.

"Kitten? Are you---?" Alex dismisses the brainless look RiRi was giggling up at her as she peeks inside the room for Serena.

"I'll be right there!" Serena quickly finishes pulling her own clothes on in the other room.

"Look, Amara---isn't she just the cutest? No, no, RiRi, a little girl still needs her panties," Michelle, herself a softy when it came to those wide eyes and chubby cheeks, scoops up the tiny child, she too now struggling to dress the wriggling RiRi as she sticks the baby right in Alex's face. "Isn't she—ugh--- darling?" Michelle coos,. Alex and RiRi exchange blank looks.

"Right…uh…whatever, Michelle," Michelle chuckles at her cousin's discomfort around little children as she follows Alex into the room, closing the door behind them.

"Michelle," Alex states simply, her observant eyes taking in the "gift" basket on the bed full of candies and cookies and Christmas treats. Her eyes slit as she reads the card attached, courtesy of a certain scrawled rock star's signature.

"I know, Amara, I know," Michelle answers with a sigh, she too recognizing the danger signs in this forbidden relationship.

"Good morning you two! Have some! Have some!" Serena bounces in in her own Christmas outfit, it all velvet fuschia making her appear a meatballheaded elf.. Alex's defensive eyes can't helpbut change to a smile upon gazing at her treasured princess, she knowing from last nights little outburst, she would have to deal with the subject on her mind more delicately--- but that was something Alex Sokova wasn't accustomed to doing.

"Kitten—don't you look adorable this morning?" Alex smiles making Serena blush as if a man had just complimented her little dress.

"Thank you Alex," Serena smiles those big blue eyes." RiRi! Please be good for Michelle!" she scolds her to stop wriggling enough for Michelle's efforts to dress her.

"About last night—" Alex was one to always get straight to the point, it eating at her mind all night how she drove her princess to tears at the dance… all because of **him.**

"Last night? RiRi be good! Don't wiggle anymore!" Serena goes to Michelle's aid and holds up RiRi's tiny arms (_boy, she's strong!)_ for Michelle to slide on RiRi's dress, it proving to be an impossible task for one person. Little RiRi knocks Serena to the ground on her head. Even Michelle, by now flustered and red-cheeked, becomes exasperated with the bouncing jelly bean, RiRi about to defeat the two adults attempts and sprint off to spread mischief wearing only her underwear somewhere else.

"Child—**CEASE.**" With a raised eyebrow and a few sharp words low and commanding, Alex does what Michelle and Serena's gentle urgings and cooing could not. RiRi on the spot drops Serena's spaghetti strands she was hanging from in mid-motion, her eyes going wide as she looks up to the commanding figure standing in front of her.

"RiRi?" she whispers the baby question as Michelle hurriedly takes the chance to shimmy the velvet frock over RiRi's head.

"There," Michelle sighs in a huff, her hands on her hips, as Alex helps Serena up off her face on the floor.

"You are amazing, Alex!" Serena hops up with a smile, all pain of the emotional night before forgotten.

"I'm glad you still think so, my pretty kitten," Alex wishes at this moment for Serena to keep thinking so and believe in her judgment when it came to more important matters like a certain dark-haired boy.

"Always, Alex," Serena gives her tall friend a big Serena-hug, she wanting this Christmas Eve (no matter how sad and lonely for her) to be special with the beloveds she had around her.

"Good. Because I think you're an amazing person yourself," Alex takes a tender stance unusual for her, hugging the innocent little princess to her chest protectively in a way she reserved only for one other precious maiden.

"Yes, you are Princess," Michelle smiles at the pair, placing an agreeing hand on Serena's shoulder. "Please stay this way," the warm toasty feeling inside Michelle is threatened by the foreboding intuition she's been having of late, of something terrible going to happen to this little girl.

_Broken wings, _Michelle sees the same message in Amara's eyes, both of them shaking their heads determinedly not to let that ever happen.

"Yes, why wouldn't I?" Serena's naiveté was another one of her great strengths, she smiling at the looks of concern on the two older scouts faces, her indomitable spirit not able to grasp the upcoming dangers.

"Of course," Serena feels Alex's strong grip tighten even a bit more around her, as if she were afraid to let go.

"Yes! Today's Christmas Eve isn't it? Oh, Serena did the girls give you theirs to hang on that sweet little tree of yours? Would it be too much for ours to join in the holiday fun?" Michelle, not wanting to depress further this girl hanging on depression already (her empathic mind could easily pick that up, though she didn't pry) changes the subject with a bright smile. She whips out the little plushie dolls Lita had just given them as they passed by in the hall (_I think Lita made mine a bit too plump, hmm, _Michelle vainly thinks critically of her own Santa suited doll).

"Ooh, RiRi!" Quiet up until this moment, the child comes to life at the revelation of a new dollie to play with, she grabbing it from Michelle's hand and making a run for it.

"RiRi! Wait! Don't knock the rest----" Serena's scolding had not an ounce of the same command over RiRi as Alex's, the child bouncing up on the bed and hanging Michelle's plushie on the tree--- and subsequently knocking down the rest that were so painstakingly neat and hanging.

"----down, oh well," Serena sighs the rest of the warning. On her way to rehang the fallen ornaments with an on the verge of tears RiRi, Serena feels a strong hand on her shoulder,

"Michelle and I are off again. Tell the girls to have a Merry 'Christmas' for us, would you?" Alex says looking into Serena's eyes.

Her face drops.

"Aren't you guys gonna spend Christmas with us? Oh please, please, Alex, stick around! You were going to come to my Grandma's, right?" Serena pleads, seeing so little of these two, they always off and doing their own thing.

"Amara stick around in one place for more than a day? Hardly likely," Michelle chuckles teasingly at her wild cousin's need to be free as the wind.

"Sorry, Meatball, you heard the lady. We've got something to do," Alex shrugs her shoulders in that conclusive way, Serena knowing that there was no use arguing.

"Merry Christmas, Princess, RiRi," Michelle waves a fond farewell in the doorway.

"Merry Christmas, Little Kitten," Alex lands a soft kiss on Serena's forehead. "Whatever you're doing—remember us, all right?" And with that last bit of advice and a tightly squeezed hand, Alex Sokova and her partner in life, Michelle Moreau, are off again, Serena watching the door close behind her two mysterious soldiers who always did what they pleased, with not a soul to answer to.

"Merry Christmas," she whispers sadly, wishing everyone could be together at this special time. She didn't understand why they had to be apart….especially….especially…..

……Darien….

"RiRi!" Trying to be a helpful little sprout, RiRi proves that good intent doesn't always cut the cheese. Her attempts to rehang all the "dollies" she knocked down, now sending them all to the floor as a result, tree included, RiRi herself too.

"Ohh! RiRi!" Serena races across the room to salvage what was left of their fallen fir friend. RiRi, the biggest, cutest plushie of all, was tangled in the mini tree's branches, giggling hysterically at her own funny self.

"RiRi?" And with the most innocent face, the little pip-squeak offers Serena the one plushie she had gone tea over kettle to save from falling, the black haired boy plush, with a beautiful smiling face, as if he were telling Serena to cheer up for this happy day coming.

_You got it, Muffin, _Serena thinks with a nod and a deep breath.

"All right, RiRi! Let's get this tree back up! And then more cookies for us both, okay?" she smiles, laughing with the little piece of fuschia sunshine with her.

"It's better this way, isn't it Amara?" Michelle reiterates what she and Amara had already discussed as the two skulk in the hallway's shadows.

"Sometimes the best way to keep a close eye is from a distance," Alex says in her deep thought provoking way.

"Yes," Michelle nods in agreement, the seriousness of the situation grave in her voice. But the Christmas spirit must hit her too, her soft strains becoming teasing.

"I did enjoy the way you handled the child, Amara. Is there some kind of motherly instinct inside you hold deep down, perhaps? Hmm?" Michelle teases in that French voice, her fingers toying at Amara's stiffened back. For she knew of her cousin's disdain for such normal, expected, and redundant things as children and motherhood not needed, not wanted-----and not even imagined for either of their dutiful lives. Their recent brief contact with baby Tara was both enlightening and pleasant, but still the thought of the real thing---and everything that had to come preceding---didn't suit either of these two independent soldiers of the New Epic at all.

"Leave me alone Michelle," Amara snaps in an annoyed voice, her eyes trained on Serena's door down the hall.

"Such a thing to say to me—of all people, Amara—on Christmas Eve too," Michelle's pouty whine is cut off by Alex's sharply tensing body. Her eyes slit ablaze with anger in that way Michelle was almost…jealous… of…_that worrying boy garnering so much of **my** Amara's attentions of late…sigh_

Michelle shrugs that jealousy off thinking more of her sweet princess and the threat that boy may prove to that sweetness. _Just as in the visions_, Michelle's mind reels of this child of the moon's fateful destiny as she and Alex slink into the shadows…

"Hey, Meatball! You ready to go?" Sayer Starr had this certain way of making himself noisily known. Bellowing and banging on a girl's door was not the most gentlemanly thing at 8 in the morning for a young man. But then again, Sayer was never much of a gentleman.

"Go where! Do you have to shout so loud? You'll wake everyone up!" All of a sudden ditzy Serena becomes a strict majorette, something about Sayer brought the bossy side out in her. She was usually a meek and sweet girl to most men, the only other man she ever considered a jerk with such a need to yell back at was…..

Serena quickly dismisses the comparison, dragging Sayer by the arm into her hotel room.

"Sheesh. Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the hotel bed today." Sayer pouts as Serena slams the door shut behind them. "Hey! RiRi!" Sayer leans down, offering the little girl a candy cane, from the basket on the bed.

"I did not! Civilized people just shouldn't shout in a public hallway!" Serena sticks her all-knowing nose up in the air at her classmate, in an advisory tone she was copying from her mom. She had heard it far too many times to count in her own case.

"Who was shouting? Hey, Meatball, you look cute." Sayer, at first purses his lips in a defensive look, just then noticing Serena's indeed "cute" Santa fuschia outfit.

"Uhh---don't change the subject you!" Serena feels her cheeks reddening under Sayer's intense gaze. _Why do his eyes always look at me like that? _Disguising her embarrassment at the outright compliment with crossed arms and a condescending attitude.

"All right." Sayer smiles, giving in to her cuteness. "What was the subject anyway?" Sayer cocks his head as he leans against the closed glass sliding doors.

"Subject? Well…" Serena puts her forefinger to her lips, she herself forgetting what she was ranting and raving about a moment ago.

"Then the subject is….I'm taking you out skiing! It's all the rage here. Come on, put on some pants and a jacket and I'll show you how." Sayer boldly offers his coaching services (even though he and a ski pole had never been formally introduced) since he was so confidence of his excelling abilities in every other sport.

"SKIING!" The chorus of four excited voices nearly knocks a Serena about to protest off her rocker. She and Sayer turn to find four peeping girls eavesdropping on their conversation from the connecting hotel door to Serena's room.

"Oh, Sayer! Is that an open invitation to four other lovely ski bunnies?" Mina bats her eyelids at the taken aback rock idol, as she nearly swoons on his arm.

"Those of us who **know** how to ski deserve to go more anyway." Rei poses in her already "ready-for-skiing" purple and white striped ski outfit as she considered herself an expert in the field, and Serena far less than an amateur. _More like a total klutz on skis!_

"Yeah, I'm rearing to brush up on my own skiing. It sure needs help." Lita, on the other hand, was painfully honest about herself, to own up to her less than spectacular ski legs.

"All right! Sounds great. You guys get changed and we'll meet you there! Just the five of you right?" Sayer was unusually suspicious today, as his eyes dart into the adjoining room the four girls just came from. His high spirits were tempered by the thought of a certain unwanted pair tagging along….

"You mean Alex and---" Mina innocently answers his danced around question.

"They've gone. Alex said they had something to do, so…." Serena sighs to her friends.

"Really?" Lita asks, she for one enjoyed their times together.

"Oh, that's too bad." Amy frowns.

"Well," Sayer seemed to be smiling brighter now, but Serena didn't notice his obvious relief. "They'll be missing all the fun. Right, gang?" He puts a relieved joyous arm around Rei & Amy's shoulders.

"Yeah!" Mina sings out happily, already planning her Christmas Eve get-up.

"Yeah! Yeah!" RiRi mimics Mina's "go-for-it" hand up in the air pose.

"Great! See ya all there! Just gotta go drag Rob out of bed now." With one final swipe at his absent and lazy "brother", Sayer is off and running again, so full of life and energy he almost takes the breath out of the group of teenage girls with his vivid zest.

"Sayer's so much fun, isn't he?" Mina, another vivacious one, finds comradeship in the boy who just left as she and the other girls hurriedly get changed.

"He's such a baby though." Rei says, with a nasty smirk, shaking off the feeling of his chummy hand on her shoulder. She for one, had never fell for his famed charms. Sayer's immaturity was just not her style.

"Oh, Rei, that's mean to say on Christmas Eve. After all, he and Terry were kind enough to bring us all the way out here, and even pay for this hotel stay." Amy had a charitable heart, although she too held Sayer with some reserve for Serena's sake.

"Terry? Hmmmm, Amy?" Lita giggles with a joke, knowing just which of the aforementioned Three Lights was Amy's personal fave, though she was rather competitive with him when it came to academic scores.

"Lita. Don't." Amy blushes cutely into her fur-trimmed scarf she was wrapping around her ski suit.

"Like you don't have a major crush on him too, Lita." Rei teases with a pinch on her taller friend's red and green trimmed arm. It was Lita's turn now to blush at the thought of the tall, chestnut haired idol and her…together…._He's way dreamier than my last boyfriend. Sigh._

"Don't forget Robin! He's just too cute! Luna, you're so **LUCKY** to be petted by him all the time!" Mina sighs to Luna, as she pulls on her outfit's boots.

"Yes, I suppose he is cute." Luna says out loud of her favorite of the three boys, with his beautiful green eyes.

"Luna?" Artemis' cry comes from around the corner, having been eavesdropping after Rei had shooed him away. Artemis, though a cat, was still a man.

"Artemis! Are you spying on us again!" Lita yells at the cat's bad habit to peek through his kitty paws all the while they were changing.

"Me! Spying? No! I----**AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH**! RiRi don't do that! RiRi **STOP!** That's my tail, not a jumping rope!" Artemis' wailing show that he was little muffin's obvious new "play toy."

"Just ignore him. He gets like that." Mina waves away Artemis' cries for help. "Serena…Sayer is **SO** nice to you. Mina fingers Serena's special basket of Christmas goodies on the bed. _I'm jealous Robin didn't send me up anything. Sniff Sniff._

"Look at this stuff!" She devours, without even asking of course, the great big giant Santa cookie in front. "I'm glad he likes you." She decides with a fingered "V" at how good the cookie tasted.

"Likes me? What do you mean, Mina? We're just friends." Serena looks up from her quiet writing a letter to a certain-someone, and asks Mina with a defensive voice.

"Uh-huh." Mina gets that all-knowing look as she continues to chomp the snacks for her breakfast.

"We are!" Serena stands her ground.

"Yeah. Right." Mina was enjoying this tease, though Rei, Lita and Amy exchange worried looks on the delicate subject behind them.

"We are, Mina!" Serena and Mina's argument could be heard all the way out in the hallway, down the hall and into the ski lodge's lobby.

"Sooooo. Where are they?" Serena taps an impatient boot on the lodge's ski outlet, where she, Lita, Amy and Rei were all suited up, ski poles ready to go. Right now, none of them minded the roadblock anymore, for this chance of adventure and romance at the ski slopes.

"We've been waiting twenty minutes! Geez!" Rei was anxious to go speeding down the ski trails and strut her stuff. _There are a lot of cute guys out there! _She thinks as she and Amy survey the people coming down the mountain's path and going up in the motorized ski lift.

"Let's just go without them." Rei wasn't one to just sit and wait as she leads the girls out to where the ski lift would carry them up.

"Yeah!" Serena casts an eye around the lodge. "But I wonder where Mina, Artemis and RiRi have disappeared to? She said they'd be right back. And Artemis is with them so…he'd at least remember, right?" Serena says, more than slightly worried for her young charge. Mina was not the most suitable of baby-sitters, even in Serena's immature eyes.

"Oh, that lazy cat wouldn't remember where his tail was if it wasn't attached." Luna was always tart about her adoring feline partner, especially the recent way he seemed to believe he owned her when a silver-haired idol was concerned.

"Don't worry, Serena. Let's go have fun, okay? I'm sure they're fine." Lita squeezes her friend's shoulders, helping her put on her skis as they step out onto the snow.

"Look at that hunk coming our way! Wow! He's a great skier! Even better than the instructor inside!" A tall, helmeted skier leading in the front, who was coming towards them with perfect speed and Olympic grace, impressed Rei.

"Yes, he is very good." Amy, fond of anything to do with ice and snow, and though studying many ski manuals hard, she knew it took more than book learning to master this difficult sport.

"Great! Great!" Serena claps her gloved hands.

"That guy behind him is pretty good too. He's a little shakier looking, though. Do you think they're together? Same kind of uniform…" Lita observes that the shorter, and a bit more tentative on his skis person behind the tall, confident one had a form that wasn't quite so stylish, but at least still on his feet.

"**AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"** Which was more than what could be said for a third uniformed and helmeted skier. The girls caught only a short glimpse of his fateful descent down the mountain. His high pitched cry echoed across the otherwise still countryside, making it obvious now to Serena and the girls just who that person was.

"Sayer!" Serena shrieks in fear for her friend, as he tumblesaulted past his two partners, who could do nothing other than pray for his safety as he rolls past them. Rolling and rolling into a big, big, and bigger snowball, only arms, legs and flying ski poles sticking out was coming right for them….

Meanwhile, close by, sliding slowly down the hill, also in the girls' direction, a Christmas sled makes it grand entrance.

"_I'm a Sweetheart of Santa Claus!"  
"That great big old Santa Claus"_

"_Presents he is bringing just for me now!"_

"_I'm a Sweetheart of Santa Claus…"_

Mina, "Santa Claus-ed" all the way up to her fuzzy Santa hat, sat prettily in the midst of a load of pink-sacked treasures and gifts, as little RiRi played the sleigh's driver.

Reigned out to a set of furry sled dogs, both RiRi and Mina singing with glee, sleigh bells ringing, they were unable to hear the screams and squeals of one hugely descending "avalanche" snowball named Sayer.

"**Watch out!"** Lita and Amy call out in unison to a waving Mina. Mina, not comprehending the danger from her vantage point, was just waving back, happy to be playing the "Sweetheart of Santa Claus", not seeing anything until it was just a moment too late.

**CRASHHHHHHH!**

The "Sayer" snowball comes to smashing halt---right into the sleigh. Pink ribbons and gift packages fly everywhere as the loosened sled dogs scatter all over the snowy fields. The sled was covered in snow, turned over into the banks, as the horrified girls rush over to help their fallen friends, Mina and RiRi certain to be hurt in a crash like that…

"RiRi!" Serena cries out, falling to her knees in the snow at the sled.

"Mina!" Rei and Amy dig at the snow, all of them finding the upturned sled empty.

"Here I am! Terry saved me. Isn't he a hero?" Mina's voice was full of utter "sighing-girl-in-love-adoration" from Terry rescuing her. She was being held as light as a feather in Terry Starr's strong arms, he having swooped in at the speed of a "star's" light to save this damsel in distress from an accident.

"RiRi! RiRi!" RiRi also sings of her amazing rescue, via one grumpy Robin Starr. He quickly extricates himself of the bothersome little creature, dumping her into Serena's happy arms.

"Oh, thank goodness. That was close." Amy sighs in relief.

"Are you all unharmed? Forgive Sayer, he---" Terry asks Mina as he gently puts her down, though she clings to his nice warm chest as long as possible.

"Sayer!" Serena shrieks in worry, just remembering his own danger. Racing to the clump of snow he was sticking out of, wild arms and legs spread about, ski poles jut out like some of kind large insect caught in a trap. "Sayer! Are you hurt?" Serena digs him out frantically, soon finding his head. Praying his neck wasn't broken, she yanks off the helmet, holding his limp body in her arms.

"Is that you, Meatball? I thought you were an angel." Sayer, only a bit dazed and delirious after such a fall, amazingly, was more putting on the "flirt", with his long lashed eyelids fluttering up at her in that wounded puppy look, seeking her gentle attentions.

"Heh, heh heh. Good thing you landed on your head, Sayer." Robin cackles with an evil, knowing smile.

"Really, Sayer. In such a situation, you should have taken the instructor's warnings and started on the lower slopes." Terry instinctively knew Sayer was all right, and that his dreamy, dazed expression was only a "stage show" for their girlish audience.

"Yeah, the kiddie run." Robin smirks, unable to help himself from tormenting stupid Sayer.

"Shut up, Rob." Sayer turns from wounded to vicious in a second, and gives Robin a nasty look. Then he turns to everyone as he pleads his case. "I was pushed!" He exclaims.

"Uh huh."

"Sure, you were." Lita and Rei exchange smirks at the klutziest of the Three Lights.

"I was! I was!" Sayer exclaims. Serena, finding his limp body quite animated and vital again, drops his head to the snow, and follows the others Terry was leading into the lodge for a nice warm hot cocoa break after such a harrowing moment.

"**HEY!"** Sayer calls after them, but the only one listening to him was one of the scattering sled dogs, giving him a big wet lick on the face. "Hey! Wait for me!" Sayer calls after them, sighing at his own unusually faulty sportsmanship when it came to the balance and control game of skiing. _Well, I was pushed. I'm sure I was. And when I find the guy who did that…_ With a pout, he refuses to believe his overconfident self could less than excel at anything, and silently vows a threat to whoever had sent him on an unsanctimonious descent. His sift like mind forgets about that though, as he chases the Meatball headed girl he had just totally embarrassed himself in front of.

Poor Artemis was left behind again, having to dig himself out of the sacks of presents still buried in the snow. He skulks into the lodge dejected. _Luna didn't even come to ask about me. She doesn't care. _

And at the top of the steep snowy hillside, a dark haired woman of foreign descent (even foreign to this planet) waits for the cloud to clear, and the shadowy form of a dark crow gazes down upon the ski lodge.

After a few morning treats, Terry was always generous with his friends, and a few cups of warm cocoa in their tummies, the girls were still determined to ski, even after that poor showing. They were smart though, and took a less difficult run to start out with. A gracious Terry and a grumpy Robin accompany them there, even though Terry could master even the toughest slopes, and Robin sighs at the thought of spending the whole morning with these noisy girls. But what could he do?

Skiing just not her thing, but still Serena discovers the sad fact and she finds herself once again in the company of her other fellow amateur skier, though he wouldn't admit that before was anything more than an accident.

"Wanna take a ride on that? Looks like fun." Sayer was seeking adventure, though Serena was a little less bold as she looks up with frightened eyes at the "Big Ski Lift". It was named correctly, for a machine that size, Serena had never seen before.

"No." Serena answers honestly, shaking her head. RiRi was in her arms, mimicking the same grave face shake.

"Good. Let's go." Sayer grabs her arm, as she and RiRi are dragged along.

"Don't you ever listen to anyone?" She calls out to him, her arm being yanked out the socket almost.

"Huh?" He calls back, the noise of the huge ride, which was no more than an oversized ski lift. It was an attraction here only due to the large amount of couples wanting to have some "private" time alone here at the mountain's love ski resort. It made it hard for him to hear her.

"Sayer, maybe I shouldn't….go up there with you." Serena sees the other occupants of the descending car, where a man and a woman kissing were inside still. The two people going into the car next to them were also an obvious couple with all that hand holding and whispering in each other's ears. _Darien…Did we used to be like that? Right now, for some reason, I can't remember…_ Serena looks confused into Sayer's deep blue eyes.

"Why not? We're friends aren't we? Besides, I think RiRi wants to go. Don't you, RiRi?" He asks, with such a warm, friendly smile that even RiRi is caught up in it. She was more excited by the balloons that one lady coming out of a car behind them held. In her little mind, there was some big, bright balloon world way up there, where the cars disappeared into the cloudy mists.

"RiRi!" She nods, jumping up and down, her excitement to go up where the balloons magically appeared.

"See? Come on, Meatball. It'll be fun." Sayer takes her hand, more gingerly, and Serena feels a genuine kindness in his softening voice.

"All right." She smiles faintly, following Sayer into the cabin. The car suddenly jerks to a start, just as the door seals them in.

"Starting already? I thought we had another five minutes." Sayer checks his watch under his white-gloved hand. It matched his red and white striped jumpsuit.

RiRi's big curious eyes gaze out of the window….up…up.

"Oh well." Sayer shrugs off the first signs of danger, thinking it must be his nerves. They always felt…strange when he was around this girl. He studies her for a few seconds, the quiet silence falling over them inside the closed compartment reminded him of that first "date" they had gone on in an elevator ride lift similar to this one, when they were completely alone. When they had spoken of that boyfriend of hers who was so cold. He was just leading her on like that, for all these months, in which Sayer had come to know her and care for her…

"Hasn't he called you for Christmas, Meatball?" Out of nowhere, Sayer can't help but delve into Serena's private matters, he was concerned now that he had come to care for someone like this. He wished he could solve all her sorrows and end those sad eyes she was staring out the window with, into the bleak whiteness of the hillside.

Sadly, Serena shakes her head. Darien was the exact subject on her depressed mind. Sayer picked it up and his face turns angry at the thought of some man ever hurting **his** Meatball like this. _So much so I can see the tears in her eyes…Damn fool…_

His mind curses that Darien of hers for so heartlessly tossing aside this sweet creature and leaving her here all alone…something he would never do…_I wouldn't. _Sayer's own beleaguered mind tries to imagine away all of his own serious problems, trying to think of some way to ease her pain right now---_There's so much I want to tell you. _

"Oh." Serena looks up in surprise to find Sayer had moved from his seat across from her to right beside her. Both his hands, with gloves removed, clasp tightly around her trembling ones.

"Look. I can't stand seeing you sad like this. You're a piece of sunshine, you know that? I want to see you smile." Sayer smiles brightly into Serena's eyes, but her tears remain. "That man you're waiting for…forget about him! You're way too good for him, you hear that? You're way too good for any of us…but…" Sayer, tender words hard to say for this man of passion, tries to gather up everything he wanted to tell her. He wanted this to be a happy Christmas Eve for her. Maybe even a happier one for him too, if he could just tell her all he feels…all he is…_that's the only way._

"No, no I'm not. I'm not good. If I was, I could be stronger. But I'm so weak." The tear that falls from her eye breaks his heart as he wraps an arm around her.

"You're not weak. Look at me, I'm the weak one. I've got so much to tell you but I just can't seem to---" Sayer was just that close to telling her everything. He felt the need to, at this moment, when suddenly their car is rocked by a massive blast of energy. Metal screeching as it plunges from way up in the sky towards the snow capped ground below.

"**AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" **

"**RIRI!"**

"**AHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

Three screams fall to the snow covered valley below, echoing off the mountain, and the resulting crashing ski car tumbles over and over in a horrific scene that would have surely ended in tragedy if not for an extra helping hand.

"Wasn't that playing it a bit close, Siren! Did you want to kill your target without seeing if she holds a true Star Seed yet? You can't take it from them if they're dead already." Sailor Lead Crow's angry and exasperated voice demanded an answer from her rivalrous partner whose "tidal wave" had severed the ski cars support wire and knocked the metal transport from the sky, without a thought for the intended target on the inside.

"Oh, Crow I wasn't worried at all. I knew you'd slow its fall. It's because you had rice cakes this morning." Sailor Aluminum Siren sings out in her singsong fashion, as her spacey face turns into one ditzy smile, for Crow to huff at with a shaking head.

"What do rice cakes have to do with anything!" Crow exacerbates, waving her dark-skinned arms up and down at Siren's ditzy features.

"Well, my mummy said that rice cakes are good for you. 'They'll make you alert and strong and happy'." Siren often recited her mother's teachings, still of a little girl's mind it seemed. And from these sayings, Crow was certain this oft-spoken mother of hers was every bit the ditz her daughter now was. _Sigh._

"Sometimes I wonder how you became my finest rival, Siren. Really I do." Crow shakes her head as she begins tromping through the snow towards the fallen ski car holding the intended target.

"Oh, thank you so much Crow! You're so nice to me, aren't you? Oh, dear my stockings are becoming soggy? What will I do?" Siren's floating mind misunderstood, as usual, Crow's swipe as a compliment. Now, drifting to complaints of snow and cold weather and her frozen feet, they walk along towards the crashed compartment, half buried in the snowed in valley below.

_Darien…I'm so cold…hold me tighter…_Serena's fuzzy mind comes to in a blur. The feel of Darien's warm arms around her was slowly bringing her back to reality, she wishing she didn't have to wake up and leave his embrace a moment before she realizes—

It was not Darien's strong arms holding her so tightly.

"Sayer?" Serena whispers, the utter silence around her scaring her into a fearful whisper into the ear of the man who was protectively holding her to his chest.

"Ugh….Meatball?…uh….." Sayer ignores the scrapes and scratches on his bruised back as he took the brunt of the impact, quickly, in a split second, grabbing Serena and RiRi as the car descended.

"Are you okay?" Danger all around, his senses flare, and Sayer withstands the pain as he rights the three of them up from the corner side window of the overturned ski car they were squished against.

"I'm fine, are you---? Serena touches the bleeding through his no longer white ripped suit arm and back with concern, as Sayer grits his teeth with a manful smile.

"I'm all right, just a few scrat---where's---" Sayer jumps up, despite the pain, his eyes frantically searching the vehicle.

"RiRi!" Serena finishes his thought in panic, looking everywhere for the little girl she was certain was wrapped tight in their arms as they were falling. _But where is she now!_

"She must've crawled through this hole while we were out! Look I can see her footprints in the snow moving away!" Sayer ducks down to where a small hole in the fallen side of the crushed car, just big enough for a RiRi to slip through, was leading with the evidence of her departing little pawprints in the white snow.

"Oh RiRi! Get me outta here, Sayer! I've gotta find her! It's too cold for her to be out there alone!" Serena cries out in worry, tugging at Sayer's arm. But the hole RiRi had escaped from was far too small for either of them to pass through the twisted metal opening. And as Sayer soon discovers, the usually automated doors were still firmly shut in place, warped so badly that even a powerful well exercised leg kick up could not budge the on their side metal doors. But he wasn't the giving up type, Sayer wedging himself up there in the long shot attempt at knocking the doors open, using all his strength…but to no avail…

_Oh RiRi!_ Serena clenches her fists in frantic worry for the missing child. Looking out the shattered cracked window (that was unfortunately made of that Plexiglas sort of substance, it just as tough as the metal seemed.) and praying for RiRi to come over the snow bank and be giggling at her silly "sister" stuck inside here 'til help arrives. But instead, Serena sees someone else entirely, someone unwelcome.

"Sayer! We gotta get out of here now! Someone's coming!" Serena calls to him, her panic now doubled at the sight of those bad sailors attacking so many innocents of late.

"Oh, Good! Maybe they can get us out of ---" Sayer's relief that help had arrived (he not a man who "needed" help, but where RiRi's safety was concerned, maybe a tiny bit of extra help wouldn't be such a bad idea. Relieved, Sayer was just on the verge of revealing just who he was to Serena, breaking his sworn secret and transform into one Sailor Star Fighter and simply laser his way out of this tin can, but now that wouldn't be necessary…

"Oh, we'll get you out all right," Sailor Lead Crow bursts open a hole in the doors with a powerful blast of energy. The impact rocks Sayer and Serena to the floor of their entrapment, helplessly looking up to see Crow's imposing form glaring down at them.

"Here's you chance now Siren! I made it easy for you! Don't blow it! You can't miss! Like shooting fish in a barrel!" Crow calls out to her partner (chivalrous enough to let Siren take the Star Seed, _even if I'm doing all the hard work!)_

"Oh, Crow! Don't speak of fish that way! I know some of them and they're very friendly---" Siren's whine is cut off even as she raises her golden bracelets to the air aimed at Serena. Just then a pair of strong hands grabs one of each of hers and Crow's legs, crashing their bodies together, and these two minions of Galaxia plummet backwards to the ground from atop the car in a heap.

"Who're you calling fish, Crow-face! Meatball get outta here! Go find RiRi fast! I'll take care of these freaks!" Athletically swinging himself up (for Sayer Starr had seen more than his share of being able to pull himself out of scrapes) Sayer yanks Serena out of the compartment as well through the blasted hole on top Crow had opened. He lowers her to the ground without giving her a chance to say a word.

"But Sayer! They're too---!" Serena knows just how powerful these two are, that it would take more than a brave boy to stand up to them--- that a Sailor Soldier was needed to fight energy with energy. Serena's palm clutches her transform brooch ever pinned close to her heart under that ski jacket.

"Hurry! Go! RiRi needs you! She's just a little kid! I'll be fine!" the desperate panic in Sayer's voice reminds Serena of her own worry for the missing little girl she was in charge of keeping safe. Her decision was a hard one to make in the split second required…

His tone commanding, like he needed for her to go away, Serena in that second decides to do as told, find RiRi as quick as she could and then return as Sailor Moon, and just pray that Sayer would still be okay by the time she got back._ I can't waste another second!_

"All right! I'll get help!" Serena calls out as she runs as fast as her skinny legs would take her, not looking back once, her eyes glued to searching for a little fuschia spot on the white horizon.

And the moment she's out of sight, Sayer Starr reaches inside his jacket pocket, a feathered emblem and mike about to appear in his hand.

"Don't move," hot tempered Lead Crow growls up about to show her wrath at being humiliatingly felled by a mere human, as she scrambles to her feet, raising a blasting hand towards the man atop the fallen ski car.

"Crow? Excuse me, Crow-san? That's polite in this country, isn't it?" Siren dusts herself off from the snowbank she and Crow were plunged into headfirst "Crow-san?" Siren tugs at Crow's arm.

"What now? I'm about to punish this human, Siren! What do you want!" she screeches in anger.

"Crow-san, I think our target got away. Oh dear," Siren sighs peering into the shattered glass to find Serena missing. _And she's Sailor Moon too, oh dear, what shall I do? _Siren's brainless priorities don't see too much of the importance of that fact, just another disappointing turn of events._ Oh, and I did so want to be rid of Sailor Moon for you today, Madame Galaxia. That would make you very happy, wouldn't it? Maybe then she'll even come to have a nice cup of tea with me,_ Siren's mind wanders.

"What! Which direction did she go!" Crow, on the other hand, knew exactly where priorities lie, her anger at this human boy not as important as finding a true star seed. (though right now, Crow was beginning to doubt Siren's accuracy in this girl—_she didn't seem anything special at all, and knowing Siren_…) For Crow herself was still unaware that this meatballheaded blonde was Sailor Moon's alter ego, Siren just not deeming it important enough to inform her yet.

"I am sorry Crow-san, I wasn't looking. I lost my seashell in the snow. Have you seen it?" Siren's eyes were busily scanning the ground, Crow grunting as she rolls her eyes at her.

"Where'd **he** go now! Damn it Siren! Why did you stop me!" Crow angrily looks on top of the car, that bothersome dark haired boy now too disappearing.

"Crow-san you don't have to swear, See I found my choker—" Siren just clips her brooch back on when another clicking sound comes, like the snapping of fingers…

"**Penetrating the evil darkness of night,"**

"**An air of freedom breaks through!"**

"**We are the three sacred shooting stars!"**

"**Sailor Star Fighter!"**

"**Sailor Star Maker!"**

"**Sailor Star Healer!**

"**Sailor Starlights! Stage On!**

In that moment of Crow's inattention, on top of the fallen ski car in place of that black curled young man were three Sailor Soldiers—those black leather-clad pain in the blank, Sailor Starlights were standing there posing with a starfield sky behind them.

"**Star Gentle Uterus!"** Sailor of the star Maker calls out, the acid broiling towards where Lead Crow and Aluminum Siren were standing.

"C'mon Siren! We've got another job to finish first!" Seeing no need to beat these three bugs into the ground, (_another time, definitely)_ Crow grabs Siren and the two of them speedily zap away into their shared telephone booth as Maker's acid attack sizzles the ground where they stood, leaving bare scorched earth in its wake.

"Fighter are you-----?" Maker turns to where Fighter was standing between them, both Maker and Healer seeing the accident in the distant and quickly coming to aid their fallen comrade.

"You heard them! They're after her!" Fighter ignores Maker's concern, already taking off in the direction Serena had disappeared into the snowcapped forest.

"All this trouble over that silly girl? Fighter, we're only looking for the Princess, remember?" Healer had a cold streak that made this star dislike humans naturally and not understanding Fighter and Maker's want to always help them.

"You cold ---" Fighter swears racing off, with a temper to match those intense passions.

"Fighter's right, Healer. We have to protect the innocents of this world as well. It's what the Princess would want isn't it?" Maker spells it out in more logical terms to Healer, chasing after Fighter.

_Oh well, _Healer sigh with a slight smirk, taking off after the two.

"_Come… Come to me… Almost here now…_ a voice whistles through the cold air and a little girl pitter patters towards it, entranced by the high strains and musical lilt that was ringing through her tiny ears bell-like through the icy snows.

"RiRi?" the word echoes inside the cavern opening that the voice has led this child to. The frightened question on her cold lips, RiRi almost turns and runs from the dark ice-filled cave, its dense eerieness, crooked hanging stalagtites dripping with ice daggers. The utter silence within would be frightening to any child and this tiny angel of wonderment was no exception to that rule.

"_Yes child… Come… it has been a very long time… and I am lonely…." _ This high voice spins a sad tale, cooing invitingly. Sweethearted RiRi has not an ounce of suspicion in her body or a bone of reason within her it now seemed. Hearing only the sad forlorn voice and the loneliness in it, she shuffles slowly into the cavern---- for RiRi didn't like for people to feel alone, even total strangers.

But today her childlike goodness was her downfall, the golden glow, dazzling as it is beautiful against the dank cavern wall, captivated RiRi as it sparkles to her through the cave, the golden gleam of Galactic proportions familiar to RiRi's faintly aware mind and yet not…

"_So you have finally come to me… my Sister…" _The golden woman RiRi so good-naturedly waddled to changes the pasted inviting smile to a smirking ugly frown, frightening the little girl as the perfect gleaming white teeth become fanged and her golden beauty transforms to deathly black, her hair now a flaming shade of red.

"RiRi!" the sense of fear now in her tiny form, RiRi turns to flee, but her little stout legs had not the speed they needed to escaped a sharp long-nailed hand.

"_You cannot escape me! As clear as this cold ice you have ensnared me I can sense you within this frail body. You can't hide from me anymore! You can no longer deny me my heritage!" _her voice transforms into a screech from the depths of hell itself, this shadowy form of a woman grasps hold of RiRi's chubby arm, yanking the screaming child back ruthlessly.

"_Millions of light years I have crossed in search of you. Ages of time have passed without even a glimpse of light within me. All you have stolen, all you have taken from me, I will rip from you now, tear you apart as you have left me, this forgotten worthless wretch of a shadow,. I have only sustained myself through sheer force of will. For that was something you could not strip away from me, my Sister. You who always believed yourself so perfect and pure. You would not dare to face my ugliness… in your cruel vanity…_

The eons of torment come spilling out in a barrage of threats and despised remembrances of a past unforgotten, a stripped life unforgiven as the memories of what once was flashes mercilessly…

On the grassy knolls of an amber gold planet, the tall flowers sway to and fro on the breeze, their golden splendor almost masking the same hued long hair descending in endless waves from a young girl's head. She lies in the field basking in the sunlight, the sweet scent of the long sun-gold flowers surrounding her, and the soft winds touch her flawless cheek, her low melodic voice humming a tune to the bees, she without a care in the world.

"There you are Galaxia! Did you think you could hide from me here?" a high voice cries out with the same inflections as the lower one humming. A bit annoyed that she was the dutiful one who was left with the meetings and royal household responsibilities, whilst her rebellious twin sister dawdles in the flower gardens.

" Of course not Battress! I was just admiring the golden blooms you had planted here and---" the beautiful golden haired girl sits up with a smile warm for her beloved sister, her large eyes catching the sunlight in that dazzling way, glinting on her twin sister with overwhelming shine.

For twins they were, exact duplicates (though responsible Battress piled her shocks of golden waves upon her head in an older, more pinched look, carefree Galaxia letting the waves roll down unchecked and flowing free) save for their outlooks on life itself. Battress saw life as an endless stream of things to do, for a Princess' tasks were never complete duty by far the most important part of each day. Galaxia on the other hand, believed in the sheer joys of life. Running wild barefoot through the soft blades of grass; singing of dreams and romance to the night sky; and a sun that never sets, reveling in its golden glow with not a though on her mind but for what adventure she may tumble into next.

Shaking her head at her headstrong sister, Battress puts her hands on her angry hips.

"You leave me all the duties, Galaxia, while you're out here playing! Really!" Battress huffs with a frown down at her carefree sibling. Galaxia was usually full of endless apologies and excuses and yet this time-----

"Well, why not Battress? I can do what I want. You're just a worthless shadow of me. **I am** the favored child you know." Galaxia's sweetly innocent face turns nasty, Battress taken aback by the sudden change of demeanor as if a shadow fell over Galaxia's lovely face.

But it was true. It was all true. Galaxia was mother's favorite. Galaxia was the princess everyone liked better. Galaxia had the beauty and charm while she, Battress, only had the brains. And what good were they when a princess' duty was just to stand there and look pretty? ("_Nobody knows of the true duties of a princess except for me." _Battress would repeat to her depraved mind over and over). And though the two were born exact twins, Battress always knew herself to be considered the lesser one. She was not as pretty or personable as her outgoing sister, she was a mere shadow of Galaxia's golden glow.

Standing in the field, suddenly the summer scene turns into a dead and barren battlefield, their beautiful golden planet nearly obliterated to dust and lifelessness. The flowing summery frock Galaxia was wearing a moment before transforms into a battle uniform, the golden armored soldier outfit that was her inheritance as a soldier warrior----Sailor Galaxia. Her hair was now up and in that tight crown-like setting, her eyes slitted in a heartless smile. Galaxia raises her golden sword over Battress' head, and mercilessly runs her sister through with not a word nor explanation save for the whispered phrase in her ear which has haunted what was left of Battress' soul for a millennia since that fateful day…

"_For the greater purpose, Sister, let me take your soul…_" and with those mysterious words echoing through her, Battress lets herself once again slip into the shadow realm she was in that moment absorbed into. With a vow of revenge one-day upon she who had stolen who she was away, Battress was determined to retrieve what she had lost, and that meant destroying Galaxia in the process too.

"RiRi!" the frantic screaming and squiggling of the little girl clenched tightly in her arms rings this dark Galaxia back to reality, the words she has longed to say to her despised sister for countless tortured eons was hissing from Battress' lips.

"_Now Sister, allow me to take your soul---- to oblivion!"_ The coal black mists surrounding Battress swirl around her grasping hand, the sheer force within her shadow form now willing a blade of pure black evilness to materialize in her clenched fist.

"_A sword for a sword," _ Battress raises the weapon high above RiRi's tiny body, pinning her against the cavern wall with one amazingly strong arm. All the screaming and squirming of RiRi's small form would have not a hope of survival against such a crazed with anger foe---

But hope was always just around the corner.

"Put her down! RiRi!" Serena Hart felt herself somehow led to this particular cavern, she racing through the ice and snow at a frantic pace to find her little friend. And now she finds RiRi in the clutches of this strange and dark monster reminding her of some eerie phantom from a horror movie that frightened her so as a child that she wants to turn and run. But with that past fear comes a future of responsibilities and a heart full of love and justice that could never see any of her beloveds in danger.

"Let her go Monster!" And with a courage (not to mention some good aim that Luna's training had pounded into a clutzy girl) Serena, the girl who once thought herself too weak and clumsy for anything, grabs hold of a big rock from the cavern floor. She pretends it was her tiara, and zings it with as much precision and force as her thin arm could muster---

And it would have been a precise hit, one to chalk down in the record books hitting the monster plainly on the arm grasping RiRi and yet----

The stone passes right through her.

"What? How can this be!" Serena gasps as the rock falls clattering to the ground.

"Ha Ha Ha! See, my Sister, there are some advantages to this decrepit form you have abandoned me to." Battress cackles, does not seem to even take notice of the young girl begging for her to stop her deadly campaign.

"Why have you chosen this weakest of weak forms? Once again you have proven to me, Sister, that I possess far more of the intellect you lack," absorbed in her self, Battress does not seem to notice or care about Serena's brave charging down upon her. For Serena would do anything to save another's life --- even if it meant the cost of her own….

"**Neptune Submarine Reflection!"**

From somewhere behind Serena a flash of aqua light streams in, it's sparkle gleams throughout the cavern as its glimmer strikes Battress, she shrinking back from it, dropping RiRi to the ground.

"_That energy! It is not of this world!"_ Battress cries out, shrinking back deeper into the cave.

"Wherever evil presence makes itself known, my mirror of visions will expose it**!" ** Serena turns to see two familiar figures standing back to back silhouetted against the blinding white snowscape behind them.

"**Lured by the New Epic! Soldier of the deep waters! I am Sailor Neptune!**

Indeed an elegant creature of beauty, the aqua skirted Sailor announces herself to the enemy.

"**Likewise, Lured by the New Epic! Soldier of the wild winds! Sailor Uranus!**

Neptune's partner calls out, her low voice resounding throughout the cavern.

Both were standing there threateningly, their arms crossed in a no-nonsense pose—well, almost.

"I hope you don't mind I took your intro, cous'. But things are a little more interesting upside down sometimes, don't you think?" Neptune teases in a sideways glance to Uranus.

"Very," comes Uranus' amused reply with an embarrassed smirk as she raises her arm to the sky.

"**Uranus Space Sword Blaster!"**

Uranus calls out, her invisible gleaming sword appearing in her hand, slicing a yellow blaze of light across the dark cavern.

"RiRi come here!" Serena beckons to the scared child as Uranus' sword takes the enemy's attention. RiRi begins waddling to Serena as fast as she can--- but not fast enough.

Though momentarily weakened by Neptune's Submarine Reflection, Battress didn't travel light years and eons to be stopped so easily, she raising her own shadow sword and absorbing Uranus' light energy into its ebony.

"_As you can see, light is so quickly drowned out by the darkness! I will have my revenge!" _And with that Battress' witchlike hand clutches in the thin air, and the cavern's shadows mimic her movements, coming to life and grabbing hold of the four girls. It then drags RiRi's little body back to Battress then both disappearing even further back into the cave leaving Serena, Uranus and Neptune captured and helpless, shadows tearing at their bodies.

"RiRi!" Serena cries in panic as the child's whimpering could be heard moving further and further away.

"Dammit! Neptune, who is that!" frustrated, Uranus swears, demanding the answer to her angry question as she struggles furiously with the shadows grasping her.

"A shadow creature filled with rage and vengeance. But what does she want with the child?" Neptune raises some frustrated questions of her own.

"I don't know! Oh RiRi!" Serena closes her eyes, feeling that warmth that little girl added to hers, praying for it to always be with her.

"**Moon Eternal Power!**

Serena cries out, her hand clutching that winged brooch inside her jacket and holding onto it tight despite the shadows grabbing at her and trying to snatch it away.

"**Makeup!"**

White light, feathers aflutter and radiant shimmering transform this simple young girl known as Serena Hart, into the winged Soldier of Love and Justice called Sailor Moon.

Her Eternal form dazzles in the darkness obliterating the dark shadows holding them captive.

"**Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss!"**

With one swipe of her powerful Moon Tiel, Eternal Sailor Moon sets Uranus and Neptune free of the shadows threatening to engulf them. All three, without a single word, then take off in the direction RiRi was dragged to.

"Crow-san, Crow-san… Did you see it?" Sailor Aluminum Siren tugs at Lead Crow's red-orangy sleeves, pointing in the direction of the cavern that light just exploded from.

"Yes, I saw it, Siren. That was Eternal Sailor Moon's energy signal, wasn't it?" Crow asks her quick mind analyzing the energy flash.

"Hmm? Sailor Moon? What? Where?" Siren looks around confusedly around at the mention of the name getting her into so much bother.

"C'mon Siren! Sailor Moon might have stolen our star seed from that girl you targeted! We can't let that happen!" Crow feared Madame Galaxia's wrath for her friend more than the loss of one star seed.

"Yes, Crow-san but that would be very hard for her to do, I think, since Sailor Moon really is----" Siren's dawdling voice slowly is about to reveal something very important to Crow.

----"Sailor Moon is a difficult opponent to defeat! But if we destroy her this time perhaps Madame Galaxia will forgive your past failures. We'll definitely defeat her this time!" Crow talks over Siren's babbling with these determined assurances.

"Whatever you say Crow-san," Siren shrugs as her rival drags her away towards the cave in question.

Three pairs of high-heeled feet echo as the pound through the cave, their eyes straining through the darkness in search of one tiny little girl and her evil monster of a captor.

"This creature! It's as if she is nothing more than a shadow, no soul to read!" our empathic scout vents her frustrated attempts to reach through the cave and find RiRi and the monster. Neptune analyzes her brief psi scan on the shadow creature but comes up with no clear picture, just a faint distant knowledge that this monster was part of a far greater enemy, one she thought she once glimpsed in a nightmare as if through another's eyes._ Whatever that means, Michelle, take hold of yourself,_ Neptune chides her wandering thoughts. But visions and thoughts meant everything to her, and beyond the nightmare, she often wondered of the dreamer.

"There!" Uranus' eagle eyes were first to spot the kidnapper and her prey. The evil woman, to Sailor Moon's horror was standing bent over RiRi' held down form, the shadow sword in her hand readied to slice the child asunder and yet the attacker seemed frozen in place, her eyes dilated and frightened—as if she had seen a ghost. It was then that RiRi seems to explode in pink fuschia beams of light.

"_Battress! Please remember me as I was! I am your sister! I only did what I had to because… because… I loved you then! As I still love you now! No matter what! _That sweet longhaired Galaxia of erefore cries out to Battress' tortured mind, the warmth her shadow heart had not glimpsed for eons taking her aback by the plea.

"Go away! Die! Leave me be! You can't fool me again!" Battress' bloodshot eyes flash back to reality again, so filled with vengeance she prepares to go through with RiRi bitter end despite the pleas.

"**Uranus World Shaking!"**

She sends a blast of energy towards Battress, the rise and fall of her earthquaking blast shaking the cavern's unsteady insides, stalagtites falling like deadly spears around them. Battress laughs at their sorry attempts, she putting up a shadow forcefield around herself.

"**Uranus world-----"**

Hot-tempered Uranus starts to repeat the attack, determined to wipe that laugh off Battress' ugly face.

"Do you wanna kill that kid!" another voice enters the cave from behind them, boldly grabbing Uranus' arm to stop her quaking attack and sending a more exacting one in Battress' direction.

"**Star Serious Laser!"**

The precise laser beam cuts through her shadow field and knocks the sword from her hand just as she was about to do RiRi in. Sailor Star Maker, seeing Fighter's in, swoops down and grabs poor RiRi racing back with her before Battress could do a thing.

"Come on! Let's go! The cave's collapsing!" Sailor Moon gratefully takes the child from Maker, they hustling out before the entire cave collapses, Battress' anger evident from the walls reverberating with shadows reaching out and trying to keep them in the disintegrating cavern.

"C'mon let's go!" Fighter repeats to Uranus, but she seemed not that prepared to leave until she gets one final shot at the evil demon sending her shadow minions after the rest of her team.

"Uranus! There's nothing more you can do here! Let's go!" Fighter reiterates grabbing her arm again, preparing to beat it after the other scouts departing down the cavern corridor.

"Let GO of ME!" she bitingly yells at this leatherclad troublemaker, shaking her arm off. "Why do you care about all this anyway! This is our affair, so stay out next time! It's none of your concern!" Uranus berates right into Fighter's smug face. There was something about this mysterious new soldier in particular that put her on edge--- and she didn't like it.

"Well it looks like I care a little more than you! Didn't think your earthquake would bring the house down, huh?" Fighter swipes.

"Shut Up! We didn't ask for your help!" Uranus stands toe to toe with Fighter they still arguing even as rubble from the cavern ceiling starts falling all around them.

"You sure needed it!" Eyes flash in anger, neither seeming to notice the world coming down around them, no one ever quite maddening them as much as each other did.

"We did not---" Uranus was the most stubborn person alive (but Fighter here seemed competition for that he not backing down either, rocks crashing to the floor at their feet, just missing).

"Time to go, Uranus!" Neptune comes racing back in, sensing the argument her partner was having was not in any hurry to break up (which couldn't be said for the cave) so she whisks her tall companion's arm and leads her quickly away. Fighter takes off after them just in time for that end of the cave to totally collapse behind them.

"**Star Gentle Uterus!"**

"Maker fends off the attacking shadows crawling off the walls leeching towards them even as they ran.

"**Star Sensitive Inferno!"**

Surprising both her partners, Healer rescues both the bothersome Sailor Moon and the whimpering child from a collapsing tunnel (physically!).

"**You won't escape me! This is the end!" **The creature's high shrill voice emanates from every shadow stalking the remains of the cavern. A sudden burst of the shadow's entire energies crush what was left of the supporting cavern walls, they coming crashing down on our group of Sailors. Just when there was light at the end of the tunnel, it fades again from view in the deadly shadows….


	3. Chapter 3

"**Merry Christmas!"**

**Chapter 3**

"**Child of Light"**

By HarukaKou

"**WORLD SHAKING!"**

"**STAR SERIOUS LASER!"**

Two voices call out desperately. Uranus and Fighter's separate energies intend the same purpose---namely, to turn to dust the ceiling wall of the cavern that was about to come crashing down upon them all.

Yellow and red energies burst in a blinding light, nobody sure if they last minute rescue had arrived in time until the smoke cleared a few moments later.

"Princess! Are you all right?" Super Sailor Neptune's first worry was for her fragile princess' safety. That is, she already instinctively knew that Uranus was unharmed, feeling her partner's strong arms encircling her, though scratched and bleeding.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you, Maker." Sailor Moon smiles up to the tall sailor soldier who was protectively encompassing her and RiRi. Star Maker was gentle, kind and would defend any woman, especially where an innocent child was concerned as well. Maker threw all worry for his own safety to the wind, as she shielded Sailor Moon and RiRi from the falling debris.

"Sailor Moon." Maker nods with a smile, extending a helping hand towards her. Maker once again wished that the three of them could entrust Sailor Moon with their secret, ask her to join in their mission, to collaborate with hers. They all seemed to have the same goal---but there were definite complications. His violet eyes glance up to where that golden haired Sailor Uranus was dusting herself and Neptune off, while they glared at all three Starlights---especially one in particular---with suspicious gazes. For whenever the three were around, ever since they showed up, bad things happened, and that conclusion was one Uranus knew how to deal with.

**SLAP!**

Uranus slaps Star Maker's helping hand out of the way, giving Maker and the other Starlights a forbidding look.

"We don't need your help. We can handle this enemy—as we always have---by ourselves. Intruders aren't welcome here." Uranus' voice was as cold as the ice and snow surrounding them, and she pulls Sailor Moon up and towards her and Neptune protectively. She pulled her away from the Three Starlights, somehow finding blame for all this in them.

'Fine. Do as you like. **We** don't require being here." Maker, though a soul of gentility, had her share of ego and the anger that came with it, especially this creature of a woman that stood before her, always questioning their motives. Maker exchanges a look with Healer, then leaps upward and out of the cave through the hole blasted out, with Healer right at her heels, a snide look on her face.

"Fighter." Healer says, merely with a warning look for Fighter to follow, just before she too leaps out. Leaving Fighter to face the soldiers of this solar system alone, Fighter looks up to where her two lifelong partners disappeared and looks back at Sailor Moon. Fighter, for one, always felt a certain…protectiveness….for this winged girl soldier.

_How can I just leave her here?_ Fighter was hesitant to just pick up and abandon Sailor Moon---and RiRi too. She was also concerned for what had happened to Serena. _Those two crazies on Meatball's trail…_ Fighter hadn't seen her since then, and she felt she should go and find her….but…._Sailor Moon needs my help too!_

"Fighter!" Maker's low-keyed voice had a commanding effect on his companion. Star Fighter looks up to where Maker's voice was bellowing for Fighter to come, and she almost automatically followed the taller Soldier. Yet…she freezes in place, duty and conscience at war with each other.

"What are you waiting for? Get out of here." Sailor Uranus breaks the last straw, Fighter returns the glare to her hard green eyes. It flashes through her mind that she had seen and sparred with these same green eyes before, but Fighter quickly shakes the thought away. With an almost apologetic glance to Sailor Moon, she jumps up after her two colleagues. She didn't like caving in to that damn Uranus, but Maker and Healer were right. They do have---no matter how much Fighter's heart disagreed---only **ONE** true mission. Fighter's long skinny leathered legs ascend in a single leap, leaving Sailor Moon and her 3 companions alone.

"Sailor Uranus! Why can't we work toget---?" Eternal Sailor Moon's friendly soul wanted to reach out to those three soldiers. Though they were a team together, the three Starlights seemed lost and alone to her, she wanted so much to understand them…..and something in that Sailor Star Fighter's eyes was….almost familiar….

"That's enough." But Uranus was in no mood for delicate arguments on **that** subject. The suspicion of dangers from those three unknown soldiers from another galaxy posed gave her hard line attitude no room for kindness or flexibility. The fact that they were "Sailor Soldiers" by name gave her no cause to believe any of them. The rest of their string of enemies were also "Sailors"---"Sailor Iron Mouse", "Sailor Aluminum Siren", "Sailor Lead Crow"----so now, no one other than the eight Sailor Soldiers of this Solar System could be trusted. _No one. Especially that Sailor Star Fighter. There is something disturbing to me about her eyes----like I could see all the way into her soul almost…._

Uranus, too, shakes off the thought, and turns her face up to the cold wind streaking in through the hole in the cavern's ceiling.

"Sailor Moon. There's an enemy out there. We have to stop it and any other threats to this world. We can't be concerned by any outside forces. The only ones we can depend on----are each other. We were brought together by destiny---no one else. Do you understand?" Out loud, Sailor Neptune echoes, in a slightly more gentle tone, Uranus' sentiments, softening her rough way of shutting Serena off, with this thought provoking advice of her own. She places a hand on Serena's shoulder.

"I---" Despite all the respect Serena had for the two of them, the genuine concern in their faces, Sailor Moon still finds herself disagreeing somewhere deep inside. She believed in the three Starlights and held a hope that one day they would all work together as part of one team.

Suddenly, a dark shadow falls over the cave opening they were just about to leap out of. A loud, high-pitched shriek follows it eerily shaking the frosted fir trees around.

"What the hell?" Uranus, with a deep sense of the sky about her, since the planet of the skies was her guardian, felt the quickly darkening air an unnatural occurrence that set her teeth on edge.

"The power that monster has!" Neptune comments in a high toned whimper, and she points to where the black shadow woman was standing, amidst the snow at the edge of the high peak they were on. Her arms were raised to the skies as if she were wearing the darkness in her ear-splitting screeches, almost in the compilation of song. And within her unctuous strains, the black shadows continue to emanate, spreading out in claw-like prongs, crawling towards them hungrily.

"Give me back that child! Such energy! I need it! Sister, return to me the power you have stolen! I've tasted the raw energy again! I require it now! Return what it rightly mine!" Crying out in her desperate strains, Battress' exhausted shadow arm grabs hold of the frightened RiRi, attempting to tear her from Sailor Moon's screaming arms.

"Stop! RiRi!" Serena holds on with all her might, RiRi crying out in the bitter tug-of-war over her tiny body.

"**RIRI!"** RiRi calls for helps, and Neptune firmly takes hold of her, while Uranus physically grabs the shadowy fingers wrapped around the child and tries to pry them off. But instead, she gives a horrible scream of pain, as, luckily, only her gloves take the brunt of the first contact with the energy draining shadow, melting them off. The shadows continues to steal RiRi's life force, palpitating with raw energy, the new Shadow intends to dissolve Uranus' hands and body as well, in its inverse blackness. But this Soldier of Speed was far too quick, and loses her gloves only. Yet, it was still intent on draining RiRi's mysterious energies---and no one would stand in its way.

"Uranus!" Neptune cries out in fear for her friend and Sailor Uranus is thrown back several hundred meters towards the white forest, by the explosive shadow.

"Ugh!" In her moment of strife over her beloved cousin, Neptune's grip gives out and she collapses to her knees in the snow as a screaming Sailor Moon and RiRi go flying forwards, dragged towards Battress' greedy eyed shadow. It pins Sailor Moon down and Battress begins to feel RiRi's energies coursing through her.

_Yes, Sister…perhaps a slow, painful death is more fitting for this century old life of torment you have put me through. _Battress justifies her energy drain in her mind, finding the torture of Galaxia's soul far more rewarding. _I will dispose of you when my powers are restored once again! _ She vows as a helpless RiRi, with Sailor Moon still attached to her, dragged towards her.

"**ALUMINUM SIREN TSUNAMI!"**

A soft spoken voice calls out from out of nowhere, a wave of tingling salt water flowing over Battress, but she was totally immune from its physical threat. Nothing could touch the bloodless lifeless form of the shadow she was---but it was easy enough to blind her for a minute with the resulting swirling, icy mists when the warm water hit the cold ice.

"Sailor Aluminum Siren!" Sailor Moon cries out in shock at her rescuer, the longhaired woman who had dueled with her and her scouts as an enemy in the past. Siren appears beside her and RiRi, trying to undo the shadow bonds around them with some evil enhanced energy of her own, granted to her by Madame Galaxia. _Thank you so much Madame Galaxia. I will bring you some of those girl scout mint cookies Crow-san bought me at the hotel.! They are so nice to eat. _

"How pretty and long your hair is Sailor Moon!" Siren had an uncanny way of dancing around the subject swimming through her sieve like mind, even in the worst moments of danger.

"Why are you helping us!" Serena could not understand why Siren would want to help them.

"Oh, so afterwards you can give me your------AHHHHH!" In her dawdling supposition of the Star Seed Sailor Moon was going to just gratefully hand over to her after she had been rescued, Siren didn't see an extremely angered Battress last out at her. She had wrapped one shadow tentacle around Siren's body as she now dragged all three victims towards her as well.

"More energy! I can feel such energy from you as well! DIE GALAXIA! Galaxia is that you in this new one's body too? What does it all mean?"

"**_Sister! Evil darkness! Evil Chaos! Help!"_**

Her head suddenly spins from the two disparate persona energies of Galaxia emanating from RiRi and Siren. Battress' already depraved mind goes even more mad, as the converging pieces, one good and one evil, of what Galaxia was and what she now is, once again destroyed what control she had forged over the years, tearing her apart.

And the distraction is all Sailor Lead Crow needed, she utilizes her own Galaxia-granted powers to blow this strange creature threatening Siren, off the face of the earth if she could. She had heard the threats against Galaxia as well, puzzled by the Shadow Battress' resemblance to her leader too. Now maybe Galaxia wasn't Crow's most favorite person in the world, her respect for her ruler lessening with each passing day, with fear, rather than loyalty driving her for now. Fear for Siren mostly, fear that her beloved rival's time may soon be up. And for all this, Crow had only one solution.

"**LEAD CROW TORNADO!"**

She cries out, blasting the tormented Battress with a force of wind of gusting proportions, the sudden tornado catching Battress off guard, as she tumbles off the edge of the steep steep mountainous peak, it sure to be an end to any creature----

But along with Battress, her shadow tentacles fall with her, catapulting a screaming Sailor Moon, RiRi and the attached Siren towards the edge too.

"Siren, let go! Siren! **LET GO!"** Sailor Lead Crow cries out with her loudest voice, she racing towards the descending group----but it was too late.

"Crow-san! I can't! I----**AHHHHHHHH!"** Over the edge, the three fall in a bundle, holding tightly onto each other---for there was nothing else to grasp but the thin, cold air as they plummet downwards.

"**SIREN!"** Crow cries out at the loss of her finest rival and secretly, her dearest friend. The tears of horror spring to her eyes the first second---and in the next, she too plunges off, without a thought, Crow too disappears downward in the mists, following after Siren.

"**SAILOR MOON!"** Uranus comes racing to the edge despite her two broken ankles. She feels her own pain was nothing compared to the heartbreak of watching someone you love plunge over the side of a cliff.

"PRINCESS!" Neptune echoes, the Battress shadow dissipating around her legs instead enveloping the skies, it unfitting the sky should be bright when all was at sunset---in heart as well. Neptune goes to Uranus and bursts into tears as they look down, seeing nothing but mist and snow in their sights, and not a sign of their dear, lost princess.

But then, there, through teary eyes, Uranus and Neptune's hearts leap at the sight of the group ascending through the mists. Their beautiful Serena was brought back to them, RiRi still in her arms. The enemy, Siren too, all being carried up by Sailor Lead Crow's strained black feathered wings.

"SAILOR MOON!" In unison, Neptune and Uranus call out, joy in their voices as Uranus takes Sailor Moon in her arms, and holds her close. Neptune hugs the little fainted, but all right, RiRi to her grateful chest, and both of them look to Crow with standoffish thankfulness.

"Tell your Sailor Moon to use her own wings next time, okay!" Crow buckles under the slight smile and grateful look on Neptune's face. Then, Uranus' still suspicion one reminds her of her true place, that they were her enemies, and yet….

_Siren needed me! That's all I did! They were just…attached! _ Crow justifies her just now heroic actions, she after all one of Galaxia's minions in search of Star Seeds, so that Galaxia may take over this galaxy and all the others…

"Crow-san, I'm a little dizzy. Crow-san, can we go home now? Crow-san? My head hurts, and I'm hungry." Whimpering little whines, Crow puts on her hard, commanding face, forcing away the pleased smile that her rival was still well enough to whine. But Siren could see it in Crow's eyes.

"Yes, Siren. Let's go home. Our target has disappeared anyway." Crow takes command and she gingerly places Siren inside the appearing telephone booth teleporter they shared.

"You haven't seen the last of us! And next time we'll still be enemies so don't get any dumb ideas!" And with that disheartening threat, Sailor Lead Crow and Sailor Aluminum Siren zap from the mountain scene.

"Are you all right?" Uranus asks the trembling girl in her arms. Sailor Moon nods her head, still unable to speak after that close call. Serena could have sworn she saw the snowy ground just inches from her head before black feathers scooped her up.

"Good. It seems our enemies did away with that shadow creature anyway." Uranus scans the area, the unnatural darkness lifted from the snow-covered landscape.

"URANUS!" The clipped warning is the only thing empathic Sailor Neptune is able to cry out as the split second passes in between when she sensed that evil darkness again and it suddenly rises over them…

The last minute warning between partners was enough for Uranus to dodge the blast of black energy descending upon them, pulling Sailor Moon and RiRi with her. Neptune too, sidesteps a dark bolt of lightning from the skies, as the three Sailor scouts look upon their attacker's cackling screeching.

"Battress cannot be defeated so easily puny ones! I am a shadow creature now…I am!" And with those laughing words, Battress spreads her newly unleashed pair of bat wings wide enough to cast a huge shadow over all those below. She screams a hideous sound as deadly red tipped blades of shadow knives rain down. They were more than mere shadows when they came in contact with flesh, the powers she had managed to drain from RiRi gave her energies a new, deadly edge as the razor tips rip through the cold air towards a helpless Neptune, Uranus, Sailor Moon and RiRi below…

"**MERCURY ICE RHAPSODY!"**

"**JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!"**

The first blast of Super Sailor Mercury's ice music freezes the falling razors to a halt, while the second wave of Super Sailor Jupiter's powerful oak leaves filled with nature's energy explode the frozen blades, clearing the skies with a strange mixture of blue cold and green nature.

"Hey, we don't know who you are, Lady, but if you want trouble, here we are!" Bold Sailor Jupiter had a temperament that would make her Irish ancestors proud.

"Sailor Scouts!" Sailor Moon calls out happy to see them too.

"Nobody messes with our friends, creepazoid." Sailor Mercury, though usually a shy and quiet girl, could stand up and shout when it came to her friends.

"Where'd you get a voice like that anyway, ugly!" Super Sailor Mars, now at Mercury and Jupiter's side, was a terribly honest soul herself and she never held back anything.

"Yeah! Go back to your bat cave, you waste of good Christmas Eve time!" Super Sailor Venus was still smarting that she had had to leave ice-skating and sleigh riding with the Three Lights on this Christmas Eve. _Robin even promised to skate with me by myself when they came back! Well…sort of…._

Ugly. A waste. These words ring throughout Battress' tattered remains of a soul. She always felt less than her perfect-adored-by-everyone sister and she was forgotten. _But not again. Not ever again._

"_Battress! Can you hear me?" _A small voice whispers inside of her throbbing head, but she shakes it off, instead turning to the Sailor Soldiers with an evil, angry face.

"No one speaks to me like that! No one!" Battress, ferocious with raw pain and anger, lashes out at the new bothers on the scene. She was determined to smite them and their biting words with shadow daggers exploding from her bat wing tips, twice as large and twice as powerful as before.

"**MARS FLAME SNIPER!"**

"**VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!"**

Though Mars' and Venus' attacks were just as potent as Mercury and Jupiter's, these shadow tipped blades were more wily, dodging their energy attacks, intent on sliding straight towards their startled faces---

"**URANUS SPACE SWORD BLASTER!"**

"**NEPTUNE SUBMARINE REFLECTION!"**

Sword and Mirror merge as they spread across the skies, dissolving the deadly razor blades in the two-pronged, combined attack.

"Fools! Fools! I'll destroy this world until there's no light left to spurn me any longer!" Battress, filled with deep hatred for all things of light and beauty, prepares her shadows to swallow the entire world.

"Join hands! Together we may be able to destroy this monster!" Uranus had this way, despite Venus being the appointed Sailor Scout leader, of taking charge as she orders the rest of the scouts to action. They all scurry together as Battress soars across the skies over them, about to launch her attack on the green planet, her red eyes mad with anger and fury.

"**SAILOR PLANET ATTACK!"**

The girls all cry out, hands joined as they begin to spin, energy from each palpitating from their bodies, combining into one huge ball of power enough to blow even the most powerful enemies away….

But a power they had not yet dealt with a force they had never encountered seems to glow golden around Battress, a protective shield going up around her. The energy the soldiers had accumulated towards her simply bounces off this golden barrier, and reflects back on the Sailor Scouts, exploding into them and blowing their circle apart.

"AHHHHHH!"

"UGH!"

Cries of pain ensue across the snow fields, as the girls are flung over the mountain plains, weakened and drained from the reversed bombardment of their own powerful attack.

"This light! This energy! Sister! Sister!" Sailor Moon is still able to look up from her fallen spot in the snow to where the Shadow Monster seemed to talk to thin air. There was not another soul around, as she ranted like an insane person. And yet…and yet there was something familiar in her eyes---something Serena knew she saw every time she looked in the mirror these days---the pain of old memories coming back to haunt you---the longing to see someone you love again so desperately…

"No! No! Go away! Go away!" And with this spurt of anger, Battress sends blasts of shadow energy across the skies, breaking through the golden forcefield that surrounded her, decimating the fir tree line to black dust.

"Your sister wouldn't want you to do these things! Please stop!" With all the strength in her, Eternal Sailor Moon stands as she tries to find some way to stop this powerful woman. Serena saw something in her that no one else could. That maybe this shadow could be brought back into the light…

"My sister? No! No! Not! You're siding with her too! They always did! I'm so alone!" Battress looks down to where Sailor Moon was looking up at her with those big blue eyes. _Those eyes! You look so much like---_

Battress suddenly sees a resemblance in Serena's sweet innocence, a remembrance of a time past, of someone so very special from before.

"Please! I'm not siding with anyone! You're not alone. You still have your sister inside you." Though she didn't know a thing about this shadow's past and though she didn't understand what was going on, Sailor Moon had a heart of gold---a heart to reach out to the needy, to the fallen. She learned the lesson of Christmas and of He who came into the world, learning the truth of selflessness, and love for all life. And with this lesson, Sailor Moon would always extend an olive branch to anyone who could be saved from the darkness, and be called back into the light.

_Yes, Galaxia…she is just as you were….._Battress, lost and confused is entranced in Sailor Moon's eyes seeing her as the sister whom once was, peaceful, loving, caring and compassionate to her when no one else was. When no one else understood, that she was different. That she had special powers. She always did, even in the past……

"Battress dear, what are you doing today? Let's both go down to the garden and—" A young, beautiful golden and red haired girl asks her sister with an inviting, pleasant smile, but is cut off suddenly.

"Leave me be, Galaxia. I'm busy." Battress says with a less than kind back glance. She seemed to be totally wrapped up in something absorbing, not to be bothered by her headstrong sibling.

"With what, Battress? Can I be wrapped up in it too?" Galaxia was a fun loving creature then. She did not want to miss a second of any enjoyment she could share with her sister.

"No, Galaxia! This is something I have found for my own! Just because you're the chosen child…just because everyone else likes you better….you can't take everything that's mine!" Battress suddenly jumps up from the shade of the castle wall she was taking refuge in. Her face was now etched with evil intent, her beautiful golden eyes that once mirrored those of Galaxia, for they were identical twins, suddenly burned red. Her golden locks were tightly bundled atop her head, transformed her into a putrid shade of black. Her lips were traced with charcoal colored lipstick, making her look so wicked. Galaxia was shocked and taken aback by the change in her sister.

"What's happening to you, Sister? What can I do to help?" Galaxia, though sweet and innocent, was not easily frightened especially not when it came to her sister. She truly did love her and always thought Battress was the better---the more responsible and sincere of the two. Galaxia had admired her for who her sister was.

"What can you do to help? Ha ha ha!" Suddenly sedate and responsible Battress turned as nasty as she looked. Her now fanged teeth glinted in the last rays of the sun. "DIE, Galaxia! You will not stand in my way any longer!" Battress' hands choke around Galaxia's throat. Galaxia screams in shock, and opens her eyes to see the devil-horned silhouette of a shadow that now surrounded her sister's dark head. In it the utter chaos that Battress had culminated powers inside of herself to release from it's hiding. Though Galaxia was the chosen daughter to be the Sailor of the Galaxies, of the star which was at the center of the universe, Zero Star, at the exact center and nucleus of all the galaxies.

"Battress stop! It's me, your sister! It's me!" Galaxia's choked out words hit the still only half-taken over Battress somewhere deep, and she freezes in her attack, long enough for Galaxia to touch her newly bestowed Sailor Transformation brooch. Galaxia explodes in golden light, her metallic golden sailor uniform glimmers in the fading sunlight.  
"You tried to fool me as you always have! I will be the one to control this planet! Every planet! Every galaxy! I will be the true galactic soldier! And I will be the only one! Not you! Chaos has told me so! Evil power of all time is trapped within this planet and I have called that power! I will release it everywhere! Chaos can no longer be contained!" Mad with that chaos running rampant inside of her, Battress cackles evilly. With all her power, she forges a long broadsword and plunges it into the ground. It cracks open as the wicked shadows she has called and brought forth to life to ease her own selfish sufferings and jealousies. They tear the grounds apart, imploding from within and soars out into the far reaches of space, encircling over the skies which were now pitch dark, of their once beautiful world where the sun never set.

"Battress! What have you become! Sister! Sister! What have you done?" Galaxia could feel the evils coursing around her, the ground shaking, thunder rumbling deafeningly. The shadows pull at her long, golden waves. Screams and cries from around the palace and from without as the entire countryside cries out in the horror of what was overtaking their peaceful world.

But Battress could no longer hear Galaxia. She, in releasing Chaos, had had her soul ripped out of her as evil ambition to now destroy the universe plagued through her dark form. Whatever goodness was once in her soul was now absorbed by black evil. She was lost to the world as the glimmer of light she was promised to be, for Galaxia always had believed that her sister was the true shine of the galaxies. But no more. She now was the beginning of the end of it.

"Your light's gone out, now, Battress. But I won't---I can't let you go! But there are so many others now I must help. To protect, Sister. I can hear the cries throughout the galaxy, for a savior from the dark chaos you have just released. Please, Sister, forgive me, but for the sake of the innocents of the universe, I must do this." Sadly, Galaxia, in that moment, transforms from the sweet-faced girl of dreams into a hardened woman. The decision she had to make steals her from what she must do to salvage the universe, now plunged into a Sailor War, for Sailors were the only ones who had any chance of stopping chaos' legendary powers. And she was the Sailor of them all. This was now her responsibility. To end what her sister had begun.

"For the greater good, Sister. Let me take your soul…" And with those last, fateful words the long-caped golden Sailor of the Galaxies grabs hold of her dark sister's broad sword, willing the mystical powers within it to do as she commanded, as she plunges the sword deep into her sister's chest. Battress falls to the ground, as her evil soul is washed away, her body, dying, but the spirit of a shadow was the one thing remaining as what was left of Battress slinks into the ground.

"Someday, Battress, I will return for you." To the dark skies and cold earth. Galaxia vows to return to find a way somehow for her lost sister to come back to the light again, as she herself rushes off into the unknown, to defend the universe from Chaos, for she had no idea what awaited her own soul ahead….

"NO! Don't leave me alone! Don't!" The utter, empty loneliness of the past thousand years spent in shadowed exile had driven Battress insane long ago. Her dark body and depraved mind do as they always had, lashing out at anything and anyone who represented the light she could never again be.

"**BATTRESS SHADOW SCREAM!"**

The tormented wail from deep inside her broken shadowy form transmutes into pure dark energy, it exploding from every inch of her blackness. Everyone around shrinks back at the horrifying sight, as Battress' jet-black bat wings spread wide as the ear piercing sound drives those scouts just standing, back down to the ground.

"SAILOR MOON!"

"SAILOR MOON!"

"SERENA!"

One by one the Sailor Soldiers realize that their leader---their Princess---was still moving towards that chasm of darkness, ignoring the shadow streams ripping towards her, through her, battering her winged body around.

"Sailor Moon! Don't go near that!" It was Uranus' commanding voice that Eternal Sailor Moon finally pays heed to. She calls out to her Sailor Scouts, that determined, caring look in her blue eyes.

"NO! There's a good person inside of there somewhere! I can feel it! And she's dying! She needs our help! I won't let anyone go towards death without trying to save her first! Lend me all of your courage! I have to try! It's Christmas!" And with that heartfelt speech, the four Inner Scouts and the two Outer Scouts present don't have to think twice to know what their soul---their own Moon Princess—was asking of them. For she was their light, their hope, their Christmas year-round. And from each their celestial symbol glimmers with power on their foreheads, adding to Sailor Moon's heart Tier----it's glowing rainbow colors-blue, red, green orange, yellow, aqua and one more, Serena's rod shimmers fuschia pink. She feels the boost of power growing within her, as the shadow streams hitting against her melt as they hit her shining, shielded form.

"**SILVER MOON CRYSTAL POWER….."**

Eternal Sailor Moon begins to release her now enhanced power of rejuvenation, of healing, upon one soulless creature. Her heart begged for Battress' spirit to return on this Christmas Eve. She reaches out with all that in her…

"…**.KISS!"**

White rainbow light gleams against the shadow monster before them. Blue breaks the forged ice, red fires a dead soul. Green strikes lightning in a cold shadow while orange lights a beam through a broken heart. Yellow quakes the barriers down as aqua flows a stream of emotions. A titanium blue laser of determination, a lavender sweep of gentility and a lime green inferno of feeling all fly in as white and fuschia combine in a final burst of pure goodness and hope as the white countryside explodes in the light….

"Where am I? Sister, are you here?" Battress' battle worn voice and vicious black appearance were all but faded and gone. She was adrift on a cloudy mist of rainbow colors. Her high pitched voice was now softer, sweeter, more of the girl she once was long before Chaos had entered her life.

"I am, Sister." Echoing from no where and everywhere around her, Battress' smoky eyes begin to glimmer a shine as they look hard at the growing brilliance wrapped in golden veils before her.

"Galaxia! Have you returned for me? I never want to be lonely again." Battress cries out, rushing to her long-absent sister for Sailor Moon's goodness had melted away her despise for the sister who had abandoned her so long ago.

"Battress. You don't need to be alone anymore. Merge the remainder of your soul and powers with mine. We will be one and twice as strong. And I'll never leave you again. It is a promise." With soft strains of a voice Battress both at once despised and loved, more of it love now, as the jealousy which so consumed her never abated the affection and loyalty between sisters.

Battress reaches her hands out to the golden dazzle before her, taking hold of the perfect white palms open of another she knew and trusted so well. "Sister, did you know? Did you always know?" Battress' high voice becomes a whisper, as she realizes all that she was, with the last of her individuality. She lets her true spirit dissipate, her shadow body goes translucent, as she moves into Galaxia, the two separate parts, now fully one.

"Yes, Battress, yes. I always knew." The curtain unveils, this ultimate Sailor of the Galaxies strides across her own Shadow realm she called Sanctuary. Moreover, she deemed it the starting point from which she would soon take hold of the planet Earth---and now, now she is certain it will all be possible.

"You were nothing more than my shadow. By the brilliance of my Star Seed you were given I gave you life. You were the other half of my immense powers split in two, since the moment of my conception. The fates had decided I was not yet ready for the full intensity of power granted me, that any one being with such energy would be enabled to rule the universe…"

"And though I took your soul then, "Sister", I did not gather your spirit in the hopes that I would not require that ultimate power, to give you your own self. But as you have proven, Battress, there could be no you without me any longer. There could be nothing without me any longer! Now this galaxy, every galaxy will be mine! There will be nothing to stop me!" At long last, filled with the two parts which make up the whole, Sailor Galaxia feels the immensity of power surging through her, her shadow now returned to her. Her energy, her strength, her drive now doubled in her ambition of the right to rule over all the galaxies.

"For the greater good, this day has finally come. Now I am whole." And as this Golden Queen of the Galactica takes her golden throne, a tiny piece within her who had glimpsed the Light of Hope that was now but a distant shadow within Galaxia, still cries out unheard. As at the same moment, Chaos laughs at the never-ending cycle of good and evil. Evil and goodness coming full circle until utter chaos would be the one to rule supreme.

Snow-blind. That's what she felt like. Sailor Moon's eyes were blinded by the sheer brilliance of light across the dark mountainside. And when that blindness faded, bewilderment set in. For quickly, she scans the countryside to find that the shadow she had been trying to bring into the light had vanished.

"Where---?" Sailor Moon asks in worry that she, in trying to help, had harmed the woman in need.

"She's received a gift, Sailor Moon. The same gift you've given all of us. Your goodness and love. That's all any of us could ever hope for." Empathic Sailor Mars puts a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder, her purple eyes gleam to Serena in the darkness.

"Yes, Princess, we are nothing without that." Neptune smiles softly as she leans her aqua head to Uranus, hand slipping in hand. Uranus too, nods in agreement of the sentiment.

"You're pure sunshine in a world of shadows, Pretty Kitten. Keep that light going, all right?" And with a tender caress of Sailor Moon's cheek, Uranus and Neptune disappear into the dark night. They were both satisfied that the danger of this night was over.

"Uranus is right! Your shine is beautiful, Sailor Moon." Sailor Jupiter smiles comfortingly at her friend.

"You reached out. That's all you could do. Don't worry. I'm sure you got through to her presence." Sailor Mercury joins in with a sweet look.

"Yeah, you were great, boss-lady!" Venus, a buoyant creature of light herself (especially on Christmas Eve) slaps Sailor Moon on the back with a loud thump of congratulations.

"And since you mentioned presents, Mercury, let's get to our Christmas Eve Party!" Mina was always in search of her next party.

"That's not exactly the "presence" I meant Venus, but.." Mercury gives a soft, lilting giggle at her fellow Sailor Scout's ditziness at times.

"Admit it, Mercury! You've got presents on your mind too!" Venus shoots back, with a righteous air.

"We all know that's all **you're **interested in Mina! It's all you've been talking about all day! That and your sweetie Santa!" Sailor Mars complains of Venus's excessive babbling.

And as her friends chatter in that comforting way that always reassured her soul, Eternal Sailor Moon's eye catches movement of long black leather legs leaping in the distance against the misty starscape. She gives a small smile, knowing that they, despite strained relations between the two teams, had added their energies to hers when she needed them most. And that maybe there was such a thing as hope to believe in and hold onto.

_That's why He came to this world too, wasn't it? To give us all hope when everything seemed lost. How could I ever lose my hope with all of you guys with me._

"You guys are the best friends in the world!" With a zealous cry of gratitude, Sailor Moon links arms with her four companions. Mercury scoops up the happily playing the snow RiRi, as they all then race down the hillside towards the distant light of the ski lodge, their hearts and souls all full of hope.

On the way back, to brighten things up on this cloudy night, our stars Mina and Rei both keep trying to outdo each other in Christmas caroling.

"Rei, 'When You Wish Upon a Star' is NOT a Christmas carol." Mina criticizes Rei's slow ballad.

"You made that "Sweetheart" song thing up, Mina! Don't talk to me about that!" Rei snaps back.

"Well, let's sing something else now. Any suggestions?" Lita interrupts the argument.

"How about a sing off? We'll each sing something to make the trip seem shorter." Amy suggests.

"ALL RIGHT! I'll begin." Rei takes charge, considering herself the singer of the group.

"_Here Comes Santa Claus."_

"_Here Comes Santa Claus"_

"_Right down Santa Claus Lane"_

Mina goes next with a Santa song of her own, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town."

"…_.Santa Claus is Coming to town!"  
"He sees you when you're sleeping!"  
"He knows when you're awake!"  
"He knows if you've been bad or good",_

_So be good for goodness' sake!"_

"Yeah, like you know what that means, Mina! No Christmas presents for you then if you go by that song!" Rei always had a snappy retort on her lips.

"Okay! My turn!" Serena happily sings out in a better mood now than before.

"_Oh when the Saints"  
"Come marching in"_

"_Oh when the Saints go marching in!"_

"_I wanna be in that number!"  
"When the Saints go marching in!"_

"_YAY!"_

Finally, the whole group ends the trek home with the infectious "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" as they enter the grounds of the ski lodge hotel.

"_We wish you a Merry Christmas!  
We wish you a Merry Christmas!  
We wish you a Merry Christmas _

_And a Happy New Year!"_

Indeed the ski lodge was decked from top to bottom with every kind of Christmas decoration imaginable. Red streamers, multi-colored lights all around, as, now back in their normal forms, Serena and the girls rush in from their long, cold journey in the snow. Straight to the fireplace they go to warm cold fingers when three more frozen figures come in from the cold just moments later.

"There you are! I was so worried!"

"There you are! I was so worried!" Serena and Sayer call out in unison, neither of them knowing what happened to the other after their ski car was attacked and they separated. The two run to each other (everyone's suspiciously interested faces watching) in the lobby, Serena noticing everyone's prying eyes and stopping short in front of him.

"Where've you been? I've looked all over for you!" Serena demands, her fear for Sayer turning into annoyance now, that she had been worried for him over nothing.

"Where've** I** been? You're the one who disappeared! Where were you?" Sayer defends his own guilty self. He, after a little "Sailor" outing, had dragged his two annoyed brothers (make that one annoyed, Robin. Terry had been genuinely concerned) back out in search of the missing girls.

"I don't have to tell you where I am all the time." Serena pouts a little, proving her independence from him. Besides, she was not able to answer publicly the full truth of her own whereabouts.

"There's gratitude for you." Robin says, sarcastically annoyed to have been wasting time looking for these nuisance girls. His hands were buried in his jacket pockets, so that Robin looked more like a cute little frozen ice pop with his nose all red and cold as he shivers.

Amy kindly offers him a cup of hot cocoa as she brings in a tray from the lobby.

"Thank you, Miss." Terry was the smoother-talking brother, as he smiles gratitude at a blushing Lita as she hands him a mug as well. For Terry didn't mind, he actually liked these sweet girls.

"The lodge has decided to have the guests staying to help out with the cooking and decorating to give their Christmas Eve a homey feel! You guys want in? Lita, I didn't get much of that cake of yours yesterday." Mina smiles, as she comes back from chatting with that cute guy at the desk. Artemis leaps on her shoulder.

"Sounds good to me!" Lita enjoyed cooking almost as much as others enjoyed eating what she made.

"Yes, it'll be fun I think!" Amy's sweet voice nods in agreement.

"Let's get changed, then! Christmas Eve is flying by!" Rei nudges Serena who was still standing next to Sayer.

"Great!" Serena smiles too, her spirit brightening around her friends.

"Hey, Meatball! Were you really worried about me?" Sayer grabs hold of Serena's arm stopping her as she turns to follow Amy, Rei, Lita and Mina, his eyes begging for an answer.

"Maybe." Serena always avoided giving Sayer a straight answer on her true feelings for him, and this time was no different, as her eyes avoided his. But Sayer was in a festive mood.

"I'm glad." He smiles that smile for Serena, and for once she doesn't avoid that handsome gaze. Rei had to back track and pull her ditzy blonde friend away from the dangerous wolf. As soon as the five girls disappear in the elevator, he claps his hands together, fire in his blue eyes.

"All right! You guys ready to put some rock into these "Jingle Bells"?" Sayer had a way about him, outgoing and exciting, that made his older "brother" Terry chuckle and sulky "brother" Robin sigh.

"Here we go again…" Robin's frown follows Sayer and Terry all the up to their rooms.

"_I Saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus"_

"_Underneath the mistletoe last night."_

All around the Love Mountain Resort, Christmas tunes echo. Mina's buoyant voice and Lita's strong one leading the chorus of visitors joining in like a family, all cooking and decorating and baking together. Mina soon pops in the kitchen from her own noisy "fa-la-la-la-ing" and she wriggles off a piece of the roasting turkey in the oven as Lita checks if it is done or not. Mina as as result, burns both her fingers and tongue.

"Hot! Hot! Hot!"

"Okay, I'm ready in here!" Rei's voice calls out from the dining rooms, having lit endless rows of red and green candles on the long tables.

'Turkey's finished! Bread's just about done!" Lita calls back, the delicious scent of delicious hot baked bread and rolls crackling in the oven fills the hotel as everyone works together to set out the dinner.

"Can I help, Lita? Can I?" By now, Serena was full swing into the Christmas spirit as she forgets all her worries, and doing the only thing Rei had deemed her capable enough to do---shredding lettuce for the big salad bowl. Serena had even done that in her own way, with the chopped tomatoes in happy face shapes in the salad bowl, one eye winking on each. "Please, Lita! Let me take that." Serena, in her vivid yellow apron just purchased. _I borrowed money for it from Amy, hee hee. _It was from the hotel gift shop to wear, just for this occasion, and she donned it so proudly, that Lita can't help but smile, as she too wore a chef's hat and jacket the kind hotel chef had let her borrow. Serena takes hold of the turkey tray.

"All right, Serena. Sure you can handle it? It's heavy…" Lita almost changes her mind at the wisdom of letting her klutzy friend be in charge of carrying the fully dressed Christmas bird out. But Serena looked so eager.

"Uh huh!" Serena doesn't show her uncertainty, as the heavy turkey tray wobbles only slightly while she carries it out into the dining hall.

"All right." Lita smiles as she lifts the fully decorated by many helping hands three layered cake and carries it out to the table Mina, Amy and other women had set out beautifully in sprays of fresh red poinsettias adorning the tablecloths.

"Looks great, gang!" Lita compliments everyone's work in making the place a Christmas wonderland.

"The champagne is perfectly chilled." Amy holds the cold bottle to her cheek.

"Oh my gosh! You let Serena carry the turkey out! Are you nuts, Lita!" Christmas Eve did not dampen Rei's sharp tongue.

"Nyah, Rei. I made it!" Serena sticks her tongue, which was bright purple from eating all the strawberries and blueberries meant for decorating the cakes, as she triumphantly takes her place at the table. _See, I am mature now._ She proudly thinks, just about to set the bird down into its place of honor.

"Ooh, Lita's cake and roast turkey too! Which one? Which one!" Mina comes pushing in, shoving Lita aside and almost knocking Lita's chef hat right into the salad, decided to swipe another piece of perfectly browned turkey skin from Serena's tray when-----

"**HO HO HO**! Merry Christmas!" Everyone turns around to where one super skinny Santa Claus was bounding through the door, lighting all the girls eyes as they see the huge bag full of presents and goodies for sure that he was hefting heavily over his red velvet shoulder.

"Santa!" So excited by the sight of the jolly old saint, RiRi gets all tangled up in the tablecloth's decorative ribbons as she goes to run to him. Serena and Mina at the moment were both connected to the turkey, and get knocked off balance by Lita who was trying to hold the cake on the table after RiRi almost pulled the cloth right out from under in her running.

"I think this dinner looks too delicious to end up on the floor, Ladies." Terry's deep voice says as he heroically holds both Serena and Mina from pitching forward with the turkey. Robin takes firm hold of the departing tablecloth and steadies the teetering cake on the other side of the group as Amy hurriedly untangles RiRi from the ribbons.

"Terry, you're wonderful!" Mina, sings happy to be both in Terry Starr's strong arms as she was to see the yummy saved and securely placed on the table.

"Santa!" Though grateful for the rescue, Serena and RiRi were more interested in the crookedly white bearded man still standing in the doorway. Serena drools over the sight of Santa Claus almost as much (no, probably more) than RiRi. "Wait for me!"

_Terry, turkey, Santa….Terry, turkey, Santa….oooooooh!_

Santa wins out it seems as Mina races from her nice spot in Terry's arms to where Serena and RiRi were with this master elf full of presents.

"I've been a good girl all year and so has RiRi, Santa." Serena states, rattling off her list of who's been naughty and nice for this skinny Santa to hear. "And so has Lita and Mina and Amy, and….I guess even Rei too. So you might as well give her a present too." Serena could feel Rei's stuck-out tongue from somewhere behind her, but to Santa of all people, Serena must be absolutely truthful.

"Have you been a good girl, Meatball?" The voice could not be disguised, nor the deep blue eyes answering at her innocent sweetness. Serena purses her lips as she realizes just who this Santa impersonator was.

"You're not Santa Claus!" Serena says with a pout, hoping still somewhere deep inside her childlike soul that there was a real St. Nick, who would really come on Christmas Eve to all the good girls and boys around the world.

And with those words at Sayer, she rips the beard and wig and jolly old Santa hat from Sayer's dark, youthful head. His black curls falls onto his forehead messily.

"Fooled you for a minute, huh?" He giggles in that boyish way as Mina rips the sack of presents from his back. She for one, was more interested in the present aspect than in the existence of the old elf anyway. She tears it open, expecting all kinds of gifts and presents and yummy treats that she, spying earlier, saw Sayer buy in the gift shop.

And she finds the heavy satchel filled to the brim…with red and green….beans.

"**BEANS!"** Mina asks in a high-pitched incredulous speech.

"They're not just any beans. They're special! The guy at the store said so." Sayer begins to explain what he thought at the time to be an exciting find and a lot of fun too.

"**AHHHHHHHHHH!**" Mina starts screaming as the bag of beans begin to all move, taking on a life of their own as she throws down the sack, surprised by the buggy movement of the decorated red and green Christmas beans. They spill out onto the floor and begin to dance.

Shake! Rattle! Roll!  
These special Christmas colored Mexican jumping beans bounce all over the hardwood floors.

"Hee hee hee hee!" RiRi starts giggling as she watches the happy beans dance all over the floor. She in her velvet dress, join in on their hopping up and down, to the Christmas music just now playing, just happening to be "Feliz Navidad" in the background.

Everyone begins to laugh at the sight of the little girl amongst the red and green beans all dancing, everyone around clapping at her festive display.

"What happened to all those cakes and treats I saw you getting from the gift shop, huh?" Mina, her mouth still watering at what she thought was intended as delicious gifts for her and her friends from the rock stars, looks at the rascal playing games demandingly.

"Oh those? Rob ate most of them. I only had a few." Santa Sayer points the blame of the missing, empty cartons of chocolates and sweets on his smaller "brother." Robin's jaw drops in anger.

"**I** ate them! **You** were the one who pigged out, Sayer." A big temper inside that little body, Robin Starr gets right in Sayer's noisy face, his angry lips pursed in shock at how lying Sayer could be to cover his own behind.

"I only had a couple shortcakes, Rob! You ate that entire box of chocolates! Admit it!" Sayer never saw himself as lying, exactly. He only omitted some other parts of the truth like how much he downed right before the dinner.

"Sayer you are a---" Robin was on the verge again. Peacemaker Terry was seeing his "brothers" on the point of no return, as he steps in between Robin and his Santa suited arguing companion.

"Sayer, Robin, please. Remember what this Christmas spirit is all about." Terry, though a foreigner to this world, had taken the time to learn everything he could about it. His genius mind had absorbed every tidbit of information about varied subjects and this particular one called Christmas interested him. His curious soul was intrigued in the many aspects this worldwide holiday represented---of faith in the birth of Someone of goodness, of sacrifice, of infinite sharing and compassion across the lines. Of a hope instilled in so many whom believed and though he himself was having a difficult time with belief and hopes of late, it was still a pleasant thing to see. The least the three of them could do was to get along with each other.

"Yeah. Yeah, Terry's right. Don't you know Santa isn't supposed to be mean?" Serena agrees with Terry, Christmas being her favorite time of year for so many reasons. All the friendly faces and getting along with everyone was so wonderful. She gives the white beard now back on Sayer's face a tug and it's elastic slaps his chin back in the face with a smack.

"You're off the list of "nice" Meatball!" He sticks his tongue out, his eyes laughing as he removes the beard and hat, getting out of the hot Santa outfit.

"Enough fun for now, guys! Dinner's getting cold!" Lita calls, nothing makes her more frustrated than a slaved over meal being ignored.

"Since you boys already ate all those sweets, I suppose you're too full for turkey dinner, huh?" Rei, in a persnickety moon, now that she and Amy had been stuck cleaning both messy RiRi and sweeping up the hundreds of jumping beans someone had carelessly spilled on the floor, asks with a hand on her hip.

"Pass up a turkey dinner? No way! We're growing boys don't you know?" Sayer always loaded (overloaded) with energy, grabs Serena's surprised hand and bounces towards Lita and the beckoning turkey dinner set on the table.

Serena, being dragged along, finds herself giggling like a schoolgirl again, with not a thought in the world other than the fun ahead. Not a care or worry being at Sayer Starr's vivacious side as he amused her endlessly the entire meal with his antics and funny ways. And that thought in itself at the end of the joyous evening begins to creep anxieties into Serena Hart's mind.

As soon as Christmas Eve dinner is over, and an impromptu party begins, one yellow haired girl sneaks away from her friends and festivities to an upstairs meeting room of sorts, it's emptiness and quietness calling to her wanderings.

Tiptoeing to the huge glass window, Serena gazes out, pressing her hands to the cold glass and looking out. Her face reflects back at her, with a slew of mixed emotions.

_What's wrong with me? I should be downstairs having fun with the rest of my friends but…._

Serena could hear faintly the loud Christmas music being played in the party hall, she could imagine all the fun and excitement that Mina, Lita, Amy and Rei were enjoying. Dancing and karaoke singing being played, she could hear Rei take centerstage, singing two Christmas songs in a row, to the delight of the the lodge audience.

"_Last Christmas I gave you my heart"_

"_But the very next day you gave it away"_

"_This year to save me from tears"_

"_I'll give it to someone special."_

From that Christmas pop song, Serena could hear Rei begin to emotionally sing another, more classical, traditional song.

"_I'm dreaming of a White Christmas"_

"_Just like the ones I used to know"_

"_Where the treetops glisten"_

"_And children listen"_

"_To hear sleigh bells in the snow"_

Her voice was so pure and clear that one's heart could break at the sound of it the way she was feeling, but still Serena didn't feel like she could belong down there with them all---not yet.

The Three Lights were there too, the idol Robin that Mina and Rei were sure to be tagging along with; sweet Terry that Lita and Amy were no doubt in the company of, and Sayer…

"Oh, Darien! I miss you so much!" Serena leans her forehead to the glass, ignoring the cold shooting through her body, trembling with sadness, loneliness and guilt too. Guilt that she was capable of having fun here, without him.

"I shouldn't!" Terrible pangs of guilt that she could actually be enjoying herself without her beloved Darien gnaw at her and she closes her eyes, wishing that there wasn't such a lonely distance between them at this time, so precious to her. She wished that she and Darien could be together again.

"Shouldn't?" Like a little tape recorder, RiRi's tiny voice comes out of nowhere, echoing back Serena's last words, though she did not understand them, with a cock of her fuschia head.

"RiRi, how did you get up here?" Serena kneels down to where the little sprite was looking up at her physically.

"Up here?" RiRi had a way of showing she had approximately 0 brainpower, she never seemed to comprehend many more words than a two-year-old required and was only able to repeat them in questions.

"RiRi, you'd be having more fun downstairs at the Christmas party, than up here with boring old me. I'm sure I'm no fun all alone." Serena smiles softly to her bright-eyed little charge, sighing at her own depressed state on this Christmas Eve.

"Not alone!" RiRi surprises Serena by going right up in her face and shaking her little head so hard with such conviction that her tiny curls swish about, her fuschia eyebrows set and determined to prove something her limited language skills could not to Serena.

"I'm not alone." Serena was always shocked at how easily she could pick up this clear-eyed little angel was trying to tell her. She found this tiny little mite comforting in such sweet wisdom.

"You're right, RiRi. I'm not alone, am I?" Serena whispers, the tears forming in her eyes from before fading away as she hugs RiRi tightly. A smile creeps to Serena's lips, just thinking of Lita's trust in her, of Mina's funny jokes, of Amy's sweet smile and even of Rei's bossiness. _You guys really are the best._ She thought of Alex's caress to her cheek, Michelle's soft giggles. _Dear, dear friends to my heart. Even those who aren't hear. _She buries her eyes in RiRi's magenta curls, as fond memories flash through her mind.

Tara's pretty little face, Susan's gentle voice, Dad's kind words, Mom's gentle advice, even Sammy's….well, she couldn't think of something good about Sammy, but she still missed him. And Rini's big mouth and….Darien's warm arms…._Darien…._

"You hiding from me, Meatball? The party downstairs is dull without you, you know?" A voice enters the silent room with such soft tenderness that Serena is not startled by it. In fact, she is pleased to hear the velvet, compassionate strains.

"No, Sayer. I'm not hiding. Just missing my family, that's all." Serena stands, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes, and look into Sayer's with a smile. But quickly, she turns and gazes out the window, trying to hide the tears that wouldn't stop.

Yes, it was true, she missed her parents and even Sammy on Christmas Eve. They had spent every Christmas together, every year for as far as this sixteen-year-old could remember. But at least she was comforted by the thought that at least she would see them tomorrow. That the call to her grandmother's was so nice to hear, all of their voices wishing her a Merry Christmas Eve and speaking to her as if they were not separated at all. They were such a good family to her. It wasn't the thought of them that brought tears back to her eyes as she looks out the window at the dark night. It was him. Serena's hand slides along the cold glass, praying that somehow the image she saw reflecting through her mind's eye in the window, of a man with deep blue eyes, dark blue hair and a warm smile, could become real. Here and now, to be with her on the Christmas Eve. So she wouldn't feel this guilt of having fun without him, so she wouldn't have to be alone.

"Hey, Meatball. He wouldn't want you to cry on Christmas Eve, would he?" Sayer had no idea who this Darien she eternally spoke of was. He didn't know what kind of man could leave such a special creature to go off and do something so unimportant as studying abroad and it made him angry to see her so sad. But how could anyone want to see those beautiful clear eyes cry?

_First, RiRi, and now you, Sayer. _ Serena turns to the hand on her shoulder to see another man with deep blue eyes, dark hair and a warm smile reaching out to teach her that there was no such thing for a loving soul to be alone. That Darien wouldn't want her to cry or miss out on anything---that he was with her inside her heart, inside her soul, right at this moment, enjoying Christmas Eve with her, just like RiRi and Sayer were saying.

"You're right, Sayer. I just miss him so." Serena found she could tell this boy she had only recently _just_ met about anything, even things she couldn't share with anyone else. _Just because…we're friends. Darien would want me to have such a good friend. _ Serena finds herself smiling to Sayer.

"'Absence makes the heart grow fonder' I have read." Terry Starr's deep voice enters the room with the uplifting quote.

"Terry, you've always got your nose buried in a book. Sayer, are you ready?" Robin Starr lifts his half keyboard, half guitar from the corner of the music room, motioning for the door, for them to perform downstairs at the party, as Sayer offered to before. _I don't know why, don't we sing enough on stage? Oh well…_

"Never mind that. Let's just jam here instead." Sayer, his eyes never left Serena's, grabs hold of the bright red electric guitar leaning against the wall (matching his pants) and wearing a light red (don't say pink!) ruffled shirt. Terry wore the same, in orange and white, while Robin was light minty green and aqua.

"Here? But…" Robin wasn't one to let Sayer have his way without an argument. "Why?"

"Because I feel like it. And your keyboarding could sure use the practice, Rob." Sayer smirks at his whiny "brother."

"You're **so** annoying, Sayer." Robin grumbles, taking a seat on the hardwood floor with his keyboard guitar as he leans against the window. Robin knew it was just a waste of breath to argue with Sayer when it came to anything about music and singing. Sayer had the most pig headed way of doing whatever he wanted on the subject.

"I think it is an excellent idea." Terry smiles down in understanding and a bit of almost paternal pride in wild, thoughtless Sayer's compassion towards this sweet girl, as Serena takes RiRi and the two of them sit in the window seat ledge.

"Here you go! You can join in too Meatball, RiRi." Sayer scoops up a triangle from the hotel's montage of musical instruments in this practice room and sticks it in Serena's hand. He agilely hops over Robin's head and takes the open seat left in the window next to Serena. He leans against the side, and snakes one long, wiry leg behind the two girls, propping the other up in a casual position. He exuded such confidence and when it came to music, Sayer Starr had a reason to be so overconfident.

With the first pluck of the electric guitar, Sayer lights excitement in the empty room, he never held anything back, the whole world one big stage for these three young men, whose hearts were full of such beautiful music, someone else's love and their Creator's gift had instilled within them.

Robin's keyboarding, (no practice required really) added class to the fun time Sayer's guitar was handing out. He proved there was music in his soul too, as Terry's tambourine backs them up all the while, keeping perfect time with the two of them. He for one, always let his two "brothers" take the spotlight, just pleased enough to stand in the background behind them, shining his own bright light of contentment.

"Come on, Meatball, you too!" Sayer eggs Serena on as RiRi, eager to get in the spirit with all the loud, happy music around her, grabs hold of the triangle stick, banging and binging at the triangle in Serena's hand. Serena giggles at the silly way her little partner was trying to keep in time with the music the boys were making.

"Me?" What can I---?" Serena points to her own musically uninclined self, wondering what Sayer could even imagine she could do, guitars and keyboards and such completely beyond her.

"Sing!" Sayer laughs at loud, not missing a beat of his own music, so in tune with it, was he.

"Sing? Me!" Serena couldn't believe how such a professional rock star could want to hear her voice sing made up lyrics.

"Sing what you feel inside! It's what we do." Robin finds himself surprised to say. After he speaks, something about glancing over to where Serena was sitting with that child, warms his heart to be kind, at least for one night.

"Yes, I believe you can do it." Terry, standing to one side of her, looks down with an encouraging smile.

"Go on, Meatball! Whatever's in your head right now! Sing it out! It feels good." Sayer adds a last bit of pressure. Serena laughs at their encouragement, and looks out the window, at the dark indigo colored sky.

"_Blueberries coloring_

_The skies we wait for him to come!"_

She belts out in her loudest voice, indeed finding that it did 'feel good' to sing with no restraints. She felt not a bit embarrassed amongst these friends as she usually would around boys. Because they were no longer just "boys" to her.

Serena almost laughs at her own words. Visions of a red sleigh and reindeers appearing from those blueberry colored skies made her feel light and happy inside, at the chance to be a young girl again, with not a care in the world and good friends to have fun with.

"_Since the beginning stars were twinkling towards each other_

_Waiting and longing for this Eve!"_

Four more friendly voices enter into the happy song. Serena waves to Rei, Lita, Mina and Amy to join in the fun, impromptu sing along on this merry starry Christmas Eve.

"_Oh Mr. Moon, don't you look?_

_Like a super big yummy cake!"_

Serena belts out her funny lines, causing everyone to laugh. The girls join in with enthusiasm, laughing the moments of the night as they fly by, filled with music and song, of caroling and fun times. Every single one of them, even grouchy Robin, with Christmas spirit touching his cold heart too, have a grand time together, teasing and singing, playing along with the Three Lights, just as they would any friends. The three foreign boys find Christmas time on this green star to be quite enjoyable, making them feel their mission here might still have hope. And that it was more and more possible that their Princess would choose this bright planet amongst countless others to come and hide within its radiance and light. Each one of their souls filling with promise as the happy night draws to a close.

"I had fun, Meatball," Sayer says putting his electric guitar, which had seen much use tonight, up, as the practice had stretched all night. They never got a chance to perform, but that didn't matter, they all had fun.

"So did I. Thank you, Sayer." Her hands full of RiRi, and she smiles across the way to the dark haired boy.

"For what? You were the life of the party." Sayer gives a wink and a smile back to her winning ways.

"Me? Merry Christmas, Sayer." Serena shakes her chuckling head at the charm he wasted on her. She went off to where the other girls were waiting with her coat to go to Christmas Eve services at the local little chapel Lita had found for a midnight Mass.

"Merry Christmas, Meatball. Keep that light of your shining all year round." Sayer says, unknowing that someone else had said something very similar to her this very day, making Serena smile at the comparison of the two unlikely sources.

"Merry Christmas." A handsome Terry comes up from cleaning up the mess and a slightly smiling (wow) Robin was right behind him, nodding the sentiment with unusual warmth towards Serena.

"Merry Christmas! I will, Sayer." She smiles with a wave goodbye to all three, as Amy relieves her of RiRi, laying the child down for a night of sugar plum fairy visions.

The five girls struggle into their coats and go out once again for a trek down to the village church. They all reveled in the pristine snow and starry moonlit night as they walked arm in arm together to the little chapel.

"Wait a minute." Serena whispers, (you have to whisper on a night like this, in the utter darkness, save for you and the stars).

"What, Serena?" Mina asks with a smile. The five of them stop just before entering the church.

"Serena?" Amy asks, seeing her friend silently gazing up to the moon. But the smile frosting over her sweet lips was answer enough.

Rei and Lita too looked up to the huge celestial body that so ruled over their friend's life, watching over her as it spun around and around in it's own silvery white dress of glass.

"I just want to tell you guys how much you mean to me. You're the best Christmas presents God could have given me. I love you all so much." A few sincere words, a caring smile, a crystal clear look in those eyes---that was all the other four scouts could ever need. Their precious Serena was the truest gift of love to them all.

"Serena!" Lost in a big group hug, Serena's eyes fill with tears of joy to have met these people in her life. To have what she has and feel with so much strength to have found the love of her life---he was no further from her right now than her own heart.

"Thank you, Baby Jesus, for coming to us. Thank you for the hope and peace promised. And the love You've given me to share with so many others. Happy Birthday too."

"Merry Christmas everyone in the world! Merry Christmas?"

_And where ever you are, I'm with you….Merry Christmas, Darien…I love you…_

Going arm in arm with her companions into the church, Christmas hymns echo through her.

"_Ave Maria"_

"_Waga kimi"_

"_No no wate ni nag kou"_

"_Otome ga ii nori bo"_

"_Awa reto ki ka sa tamae"  
"Mimoto ni yasurakeku"_

"_Iko washimetamae"  
"Na yameru kono kokoro"_

"_Kimi ni negimatsuru"_

"_Ave Maria"_

And with these final thoughts of sweet pure love, of kindness and warmth, of a peace on earth shined on by that Light of the World, Serena's mind glazes over, with her heart, her soul, in the reflection of His goodness and hope for the world.

Merry Christmas!


End file.
